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2w ago

First White South African Refugees Under Trump Program En Route to U.S.

A chartered flight carrying 49 Afrikaners is set to arrive at Dulles Airport, marking the start of a fast-tracked resettlement program prioritizing white South Africans over other refugee groups.

FILE - White South Africans demonstrate in support of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
Katia Beeden, life coach and campaigner for white South Africans who want to apply for US refugee status, poses for a picture at her residence in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa, April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Shafiek Tassiem/File Photo
Demonstrators hold placards in support of U.S. President Donald Trump's stance against what he calls racist laws, land expropriation, and farm attacks, outside the American Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, February 15, 2025. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
FILE - The Harry S. Truman Building, headquarters for the State Department, is seen in Washington, March 9, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Overview

  • The Trump administration launched a special program in February 2025 to resettle white South African Afrikaners, citing claims of race-based persecution.
  • The first group of 49 Afrikaners departed Johannesburg on May 11, 2025, aboard a U.S.-chartered flight, with their arrival in Washington, D.C., scheduled for May 12.
  • This program bypasses the typical 18–24 month refugee vetting process, with applications processed in weeks and no involvement from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
  • Critics argue the program is politically motivated, highlighting Afrikaners' economic privilege and disputing claims of persecution by South Africa's Black-led government.
  • Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing resettlement support, including housing, groceries, and other essentials, as the administration plans further relocations of Afrikaners.