Another group of white South Africans have arrived in the United States as part of a refugee program initiated by the Trump administration, according to officials and advocates.
Jaco Kleynhans, head of international connection at the Solidarity Movement, representing South Africa’s white African minority, confirmed that nine individuals, including families and children, arrived late last week via a commercial flight.
An American Embassy man told journalists via E email that “refugees continue to arrive in the United States from South Africa on commercial flights as part of African -gene residence program’s ongoing operations.”
This follows an initial group of 59 white South Africans arriving at Dulles International Airport in Virginia last month on a chartered flight.
The resettlement program was announced by US President Donald Trump in February, with his administration accelerating the process of white South Africans while suspending other US refugee programs indefinitely.
The Trump administration said it offers refugee status to white South Africans that it claims they are being persecuted by their black-led government and are victims of racial motivated violence. The South African government has denied the allegations and said they are an abuse of the country.
Trump has mistakenly claimed that white South African farmers are targeting widespread attacks that amount to genocide and have their land removed. Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with the baseless claims during a meeting of the White House last month.
Ramaphosa has said that the relatively small number of attacks on white farmers are part of South Africa’s major problems with violent crime affecting all races.
The Trump administration initially said the refugee program was aimed at members of South Africa’s African minority who are descendants of mainly Dutch and French colonial seters. In new guidance published by the US Embassy last month, applicants must be “Member of a Raceminority” in South Africa and “must be able to formulate a previous experience of persecution or fear of future persecution.”
There are approx. 2.7 million Africans among South Africa’s population of 62 million, which is more than 80% black. They are not the only white minority. There are a total of about 4.5 million white, including those with British or other inheritance.
The US spokesman for the embassy said the United States “continues to review investigations from persons who have expressed interest in the embassy in resettlement to the United States and reaches out to eligible persons for refugee interviews and processing.”
While US officials have not said how many South Africans have applied to be moved, Kleynhans said there have been about 8,000 applications. Another group that helps white South Africans apply for refugee status has said tens of thousands have used.