The first group of 49 white South Africans granted refugee status by the Trump administration has departed for the United States, leaving Johannesburg on Sunday and expected to arrive in Washington, DC, later on Monday.
This move follows months of speculation and diplomatic tension, with the South African government criticizing the resettlement scheme as “politically motivated.” The US decision came after a February executive order in which Trump claimed Afrikaners faced “racial discrimination” and accused the South African government of expropriating white-owned land without compensation, a charge Pretoria denies.
Adding to the controversy, Trump adviser Elon Musk, a South African native, has previously described the situation as a “genocide of white people,” further straining relations between the two nations.
The diplomatic rift between South Africa and the United States deepened in March when South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled after accusing President Trump of using “white victimhood as a dog whistle.” The US, in turn, accused Rasool of “race-baiting,” escalating tensions further.
The fallout also included disagreements over South Africa’s stance on Israel. Pretoria has taken an “aggressive” position against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing genocide in Gaza—a claim Israel has strongly denied.
Amid this strained relationship, the first group of 49 white South African refugees is set to arrive in Washington, DC, on Monday before continuing to Texas. The group’s acceptance comes even as the US tightens immigration policies for other migrants and asylum seekers.
