TRUMP-BACKED AFRIKANER RELOCATION TAKES OFF

Mon 12 May 2025:

A group of 49 white South Africans has departed for the United States after being granted refugee status by the Trump administration.

Johannesburg – A chartered flight carrying 49 white South Africans, identified as Afrikaners, departed for the United States on Sunday. This group is the first to take up an offer of refugee status extended by the Trump administration, which cited alleged discrimination against them. The South African government has strongly refuted these claims.

The US initiative follows a February executive order by President Donald Trump, which accused South Africa’s government of “government-sponsored race-based discrimination” and “racist, anti-white policies,” including a controversial land expropriation law. The Trump administration has asserted that these individuals are being prioritized for resettlement due to facing persecution.

US officials from the Departments of State and Homeland Security were reportedly set to welcome the arrivals at Dulles International Airport on Monday. This relocation has been fast-tracked, contrasting with paused programs for other refugee groups worldwide.

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South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation stated that the resettlement “under the guise of being ‘refugees’ is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy.” Officials emphasized that Afrikaners are among the most economically privileged groups in the country and that there is no systemic persecution.

The government has maintained that while it respects the freedom of choice for citizens to depart, there are no South Africans who qualify as refugees.

The relocation begins

The group, which included families and children, traveled on a flight operated by Omni Air International, a US charter company. The flight departed from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, with a planned refueling stop in Dakar, Senegal, before heading to Washington D.C., with some passengers reportedly continuing to Texas.

Collen Msibi, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of Transport, confirmed that the International Air Services Council approved the permit for the chartered airplane after a “stringent process.” The application explicitly stated the reason for the flight was for “Afrikaners who are relocating to the US as refugees.” This particular relocation involved careful checks on technical provisions and crew documentation.

The decision to grant these South Africans refugee status has drawn scrutiny, with refugee advocacy groups questioning the prioritization over individuals from war-torn regions or those facing natural disasters, whose applications often take years. The US administration’s claims have been amplified by figures like Elon Musk, who has spread theories about a “genocide” of white people in South Africa—assertions strongly denied by the South African government.

Afrikaners, descendants of primarily Dutch and French settlers, constitute approximately 2.8 to 3.5 million people, or around 7% of South Africa’s population of roughly 62 million. The approval of this relocation comes amidst strained relations between the US and South Africa on various policy issues, including a US decision to cut financial aid to South Africa over its alleged anti-white stance and foreign policy positions.