White South Africans Flock to the U.S. Amid Controversial Refugee Program

South African white emigrants, feeling threatened in their homeland, turn to the U.S. for asylum, buoyed by Trump's recent executive order that provides Trump a controversial exemption for this demographic.

In a surprising development, thousands of white South Africans, or Afrikaners, are racing to secure their places on flights to the United States in pursuit of refuge. This surge follows President Trump's recent executive order granting refugee status specifically to this group, whom many feel are facing backlash in their homeland due to their race. Zenia Pretorius, a 32-year-old farmer, exemplifies the sentiments shared by many; she expressed feelings of insecurity after being threatened and harassed on their family farm, leading her and her husband to seek a new life overseas.

The urgency of their plight was intensified after Trump's meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during which Trump made claims regarding the systematic targeting of Afrikaners. Although Ramaphosa aimed to clarify these claims, Trump referenced misleading evidence, further consolidating support for a movement that some critics describe as racially charged.

Despite recent waves of xenophobia in South Africa, statistics reveal that incidents of violent crime impact all racial groups similarly, undermining the preferential treatment that Afrikaners are receiving under this administration. As worldwide refugee admission rates stagnate, the Trump administration's particular focus on Afrikaners raises concerns about equity and inclusivity, exacerbating tensions between South Africans and those weighing the moral implications of such policies. In May, the first cohort of 59 Afrikaners arrived in the states, with thousands more eager to learn how to qualify for what many now consider an unjust asylum program.