Another group of white South Africans has arrived in the United States as part of the Trump administration’s refugee admissions program, The Associated Press reports. A total of nine individuals arrived in Atlanta during the week of May 25, Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison at the Solidarity Movement, told the AP.
Thousands expected to follow
The news comes after the Trump administration reportedly looks to resettle “thousands” of white South Africans, a U.S. State Department official revealed in a new report given to The Independent.
In mid-May, the Trump administration welcomed nearly 60 white Afrikaners to the United States after falsely claiming there’s a genocide of white farmers happening in South Africa and criticizing the South African government.
Trump confronted South African president
Days later, President Donald Trump also met with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House and confronted the South African leader with allegations of genocide. Trump also claimed that the South African government is forcibly taking land from white farmers without compensation, a reference to the controversial land reform debate in South Africa.
Ramaphosa refuted the allegations, stating that there is no genocide occurring in South Africa against either white or Black citizens. Instead, he said there is a broader problem of crime that affects everyone in the country.
The number of white Afrikaner refugees is expected to increase significantly later this summer, specifically during the second half of the season, a U.S. government official told The Independent.
Exemptions amid broader restrictions
The Trump administration prioritized or sped up the process for resettling white South Africans in the U.S. At the same time, the administration put other refugee programs on hold.
The Trump administration had severely limited refugee admissions overall, often citing security or immigration control concerns. Critics argue that this raises concerns about racial or political bias in refugee policy.
The administration also ended asylum allowances for countries like Venezuela.
The U.S. State Department said last week it received nearly 50,000 inquiries from South Africans about the refugee resettlement program, The New York Times reported.
contributed to this report.
