South Africa has officially raised objections with the United States over reported plans to begin resettling white Afrikaners as refugees, saying such actions are politically motivated and based on unfounded claims of racial persecution.
In a statement released Friday, South Africa’s foreign ministry said it had “expressed concern” over US media reports that the Trump administration would welcome the first group of white South African migrants next week. This move follows former President Donald Trump’s repeated accusations that the South African government discriminates against white citizens, particularly farmers.
“We reiterate that allegations of discrimination are unfounded,” the ministry said, emphasizing that such claims do not meet the legal criteria for refugee status under international or domestic law.
Deputy Foreign Minister Alvin Botes reportedly conveyed these concerns to US officials, including Ambassador Christopher Landau. The issue has further strained US-South Africa relations, which have been deteriorating over several policy disagreements. In March, the United States expelled South Africa’s ambassador, marking a low point in diplomatic ties.
South Africa’s government described the resettlement effort as a “politically motivated” attempt to discredit its post-apartheid democracy. The controversy is rooted in a new land expropriation law, signed in January, which allows for property to be seized without compensation under certain conditions. Trump has criticized the measure, claiming it unfairly targets white Afrikaners.
Despite having previously halted refugee admissions upon taking office, Trump stated in March that Afrikaner families would be granted “rapid pathways” to US citizenship if they wished to flee what he called “unjust racial discrimination.” Reports from US outlets like NPR and The New York Times say as many as 1,000 Afrikaners could be resettled in the US this year, with the first arrivals potentially as early as Monday.
The South African government is seeking clarification on the legal status of those being admitted—whether as refugees, asylum seekers, or regular migrants—and has called for proper background checks to ensure they have no criminal records.
While officials in Pretoria say they will not stop citizens from emigrating, they challenge the narrative that white South Africans face systematic persecution. They point to crime data showing that the majority of violent crime victims in South Africa are young black men, not white farmers, countering the narrative of a so-called “white genocide” that has been echoed in some US political circles.