The US regime has cited an “unforeseen emergency” in South Africa to expand its refugee program, but only white South Africans — allegedly persecuted on racial grounds — would be granted refugee status. The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed an ongoing genocide against white Afrikaners, allegations the South African government strongly denies.
Experts say there is no statistical evidence of increased crime targeting white farmers. Oscar van Heerden, a research fellow at the University of Johannesburg, calls this a distorted understanding aimed at “undermining South Africa’s moral authority on the international stage.”
Since the Gaza war began, South Africa has been one of Israel’s harshest critics. In late 2023, Pretoria filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. According to van Heerden, Trump is essentially asking: How can a country that commits genocide against white South Africans bring Israel to court?
A 2025 emergency order by Trump allowed white South Africans to enter and resettle in the US. The State Department now proposes raising the refugee cap for fiscal 2026 from 7,500 to 17,500, with 10,000 additional spots reserved exclusively for white South Africans. The program is estimated to cost around $100 million.
Gustavo De Carvalho of the South African Institute of International Affairs calls this “a clear attempt to politicize protection.” He notes that “the narrative that white South Africans are persecuted has resonated strongly within the far-right movement in the United States.”
While white South Africans are welcomed, Washington is suspending resettlement for people fleeing war and persecution in countries like Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. De Carvalho argues this “seriously violates principles of refugee protection” by using ethnic criteria.
In fiscal 2024, the US admitted over 100,000 refugees, about a third from Africa. But between October 2025 and May 2026, nearly all of the 6,700 admitted refugees came from South Africa. Van Heerden says Trump “doesn’t care about Africa, nor does he care about refugees.”
De Carvalho warns that this selective humanitarianism could backfire: “It significantly undermines the US’s ability to present itself as a global moral authority.”
Source: www.dw.com