The United States will begin admitting the first group of White South African refugees next week, whom President Trump’s administration has argued have been victims of “racial discrimination.”
“The refugee program is not intended as a solution for global poverty. And historically it has been used that way…this is an example of the president returning the refugee program to what it’s intended to be used as,” White House’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Friday.
“What’s happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created…race based persecution,” Miller, Trump’s chief immigration policy architect, told reporters.
Miller’s remarks came after he was asked about news reports that at least 50 Afrikaners would be flown from Johannesburg to the U.S.
Around 60 Afrikaners are expected to arrive at the Dulles International Airport Monday on a State Department-chartered jet, The Washington Post reported Friday, citing documents and emails it obtained, along with three government officials familiar with the matter.
The families are expected to be resettled in 10 different states, The Post reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the plans.
Trump signed an executive order in early February to formally pause all aid to South Africa and directed his Cabinet to formulate a resettlement program for Afrikaners who he contended “are victims of unjust racial discrimination.”
The president and other top U.S. government officials have slammed South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which was signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, alleging it is violating the human rights of Afrikaners and the country is illegally confiscating their land because of it.
South Africa’s government has strongly denied the claims.
“We reiterate that allegations of discrimination are unfounded. The South Africa Police Services statistics on farm related crimes do not support allegations of violent crime targeted at farmers generally or any particular race. There are sufficient structures available within South Africa to address concerns of discrimination,” South Africa’s government said in a statement on Friday.
“Moreover, even if there are allegations of discrimination, it is our view that these do not meet the threshold of persecution required under domestic and international refugee law,” the country’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation added.
Trump reiterated his intention to help resettle some South African farmers in the U.S. two months ago.
“To go a step further, any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship,” Trump said in early March.
The news of the forthcoming arrival of Afrikaners to the U.S. ignited pushback from some Democrats in Congress.
“Trump and Musk are about to give refugee status to 60 white South Africans — who do not need it — while Trump locks up and deports refugees here who face genuine dangers in other countries,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said in a Friday post on X. “This is the sick global apartheid policy being adopted by this lawless administration.”
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