The first group of African refugees is set to arrive in the United States on Monday, under a new policy aimed at providing asylum to individuals facing discrimination and threats of land expropriation in South Africa.
In February, Trump expanded his asylum offer to include “ethnic Africans of minorities” while cutting aid to South Africa following the passage of a controversial expropriation law.
New York Times Report:
According to officials who shared plans and documents with the New York Times, the Trump administration is preparing to receive a group of white South Africans identified as refugees early next week.
After taking office in January, the president effectively suspended all other refugee resettlements but hastily organized a program for South Africans.
As per a memo from the Department of Health and Human Services, the arrival event will take place at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Although the plan was to welcome these refugees on Monday, some officials have pointed out that logistics and processing may influence the timeline.
National Public Radio has reported that the government might arrange charter flights for these refugees.
Since the announcement of Trump’s policy, there has been a significant surge, with around 70,000 asylum applications from Africans. The US Embassy in Pretoria is responsible for handling these applications as quickly as possible.
The government has attempted to reassure investors and address concerns, but extreme figures like Julius Malema, who leads a black nationalist and socialist opposition, have vowed to seize farmland.
Many South Africans worry about potential actions that could force primarily white farmers off their land, which might lead to economic destabilization.
The refugees are descendants of Dutch settlers and 16th-century French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution. Afrikaans, their language, emerged from a blend of various ethnic groups in the Cape. Notably, the first Afrikaans textbook was in Arabic script, reflecting the influence of Muslim slaves brought from Indonesia. During the latter half of the 19th century, a strong national identity developed among Afrikaans, and the African-controlled National Party governed during the apartheid era.
During the democratic transition of the 1990s, the National Party agreed to hand over control to white minorities while ensuring cultural, linguistic, and property protections throughout South Africa. However, the new government has targeted Afrikaans for removal from institutions that safeguard it, especially in educational settings. Because they are white South Africans, the Afrikaans are also affected by policies that some view as discriminatory. In March, the Trump administration expelled South Africa’s ambassador after remarks accusing Trump of supporting white supremacism.
