Pretoria has strongly criticised a decision by the United States to give preference to white South Africans in its refugee programme, calling the move unjustified and based on “widely discredited” claims of persecution.
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would slash its annual refugee intake to a historic low of 7,500, giving priority to applicants from South Africa’s Afrikaner community and other individuals allegedly facing “illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”
– Advertisement –
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have become increasingly strained in recent months over US accusations that South Africa’s post-apartheid government discriminates against its white minority—claims South African officials have firmly rejected as false and politically motivated.
Pretoria Rejects ‘White Genocide’ Narrative
“The claim of a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa is widely discredited and unsupported by reliable evidence,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement.
DIRCO added that Washington’s focus on white South Africans rests “on a premise that is factually inaccurate.”
The controversy follows President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement in May offering refugee status to Afrikaners, descendants of early European settlers in South Africa.
Around 50 individuals reportedly left for the US on a chartered flight soon after, with smaller groups following later. However, the South African government said the numbers were “limited” without providing specific figures.
Diplomatic Tensions and Economic Fallout
The ministry also cited an open letter signed by members of the Afrikaner community rejecting the “narrative that portrays Afrikaners as victims of racist persecution.”
– Advertisement –
It warned that confusing voluntary emigration with legitimate asylum claims amounted to a “serious mischaracterisation” that could weaken global refugee protection systems.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Ramaphosa Confident Of Reaching Better US Tariff Deal “Soon” After Talks Advance
Diplomatic relations between the two nations have deteriorated further this year. In March, Washington expelled South Africa’s ambassador, and by August, it had imposed 30 percent tariffs on Pretoria—the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Pretoria is now pushing for negotiations to ease the trade dispute, warning that continued sanctions could cost thousands of jobs in an economy already grappling with a 33 percent unemployment rate.
For More, Follow SurgeZirc SA On Facebook, X, Instagram and Bluesky
– Advertisement –
