Nearly 5,000 white Afrikaners have entered the United States under a controversial refugee programme launched by President Donald Trump, according to official documents reviewed Wednesday.
The initiative, introduced nearly a year ago, was based on claims that South Africa’s white Afrikaans minority faces persecution, allegations strongly rejected by Pretoria.
Despite broadly suspending refugee admissions as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown, the Trump administration granted a special exemption for white South Africans seeking resettlement.
A State Department document shows 4,499 people were resettled across 48 US states between October and March, with only three arrivals recorded as non-South African nationals.
An additional 340 South Africans were admitted earlier in the financial year following Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, accelerating overall arrivals.
The programme gathered pace early this year, as February and March each saw more than 1,300 Afrikaners relocated, marking the busiest period of resettlement.
Washington first offered refugee status in May last year, describing Afrikaners as victims of racial discrimination and even “genocide,” a characterisation firmly denied by South Africa.
The first group of about 50 migrants arrived aboard a chartered flight on May 12, while later arrivals travelled on commercial airlines.
In October, the US government announced plans to cut annual refugee admissions to 7,500 in fiscal year 2026, sharply down from more than 100,000 under former president Joe Biden.
Officials said priority would be given to white South African applicants, a decision that deepened diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria.
Relations worsened further in December after South African authorities raided a centre established to fast-track applications for relocation to the United States.
US officials argue Afrikaners face targeted violence and discriminatory policies, while South Africa insists crime affects all communities and reforms aim to correct apartheid-era inequalities.
