State Department Charters Flight for First White South African Refugees to Arrive in the U.S.

A group of white South Africans is set to arrive in Washington, D.C. on Monday via a State Department-chartered plane to be resettled in the United States as refugees. This decision comes despite President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending the State Department’s refugee admissions program on the first day of his second term. Their arrival, reported first by The New York Times, marks the first instance of white South Africans entering the U.S. under refugee status. Trump’s executive order, issued on January 20, stated that the U.S. lacks the capacity to absorb a large influx of migrants and its resources should be reserved for American citizens.

Shortly afterward, Trump engaged in a public dispute with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over a controversial land seizure law. This led to a second executive order that eliminated aid to South Africa while allowing “Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination” to resettle in the U.S. Prominent figures like Elon Musk, who grew up in South Africa, have echoed concerns regarding racial discrimination and violence against white farmers in the country. Following the announcement of their resettlement, the South African government reportedly expressed concerns to the U.S. administration, arguing that claims of persecution against white South Africans were unfounded.

Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is defined as someone who fears persecution based on certain characteristics, including race and nationality. The State Department has not commented on how these individuals fit within the standard definition of a refugee, nor why they were prioritized over others fleeing violence in places like Sudan or Myanmar. South African officials emphasized that the resettlement appears politically motivated, undermining the progress made since the end of Apartheid. In defense of the decision, White House adviser Stephen Miller argued that the situation in South Africa represents genuine race-based persecution.

However, critics like Shawn VanDiver from AfghanEvac contend that the administration is selectively recognizing victims of persecution, ignoring others like Afghan allies who face similar threats.