Trump's refugee policy: Only white South Africans welcome?
Trump is spending more money on refugees, but it's mostly white South Africans who benefit. People from crisis-stricken countries are being denied entry. Experts say
Trump is spending more money on refugees, but it's mostly white South Africans who benefit. People from crisis-stricken countries are being denied entry. Experts say the credibility of US refugee aid has been damaged. The US government cited an "unforeseen emergency" in South Africa as the reason the refugee program would be expanded. However, only white minority South Africans — who are allegedly being persecuted on racial grounds in their country — would be granted refugee status. TheTrump administration has repeatedly claimed that there is an ongoing genocide against white Afrikaners, allegations the South African government strongly denies. Experts also say there is no statistical evidence of increased crime targeting white farmers. For Oscar van Heerden, a research fellow at the Center for African Diplomacy and Leadership at the University of Johannesburg, this is based on a distorted understanding intended to "undermine South Africa's moral authority on the international stage — by equating South Africa with the State of Israel." US to prioritize white South African refugees To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Since the start of the war in Gaza, South Africa has been among Israel's harshest critics. In late 2023, Pretoria filed a lawsuit with theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague against the Israeli government over allegations of genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza. The case stems from Israel’s response to the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the US, the EU and others, and other militant Islamist groups. Israel denies the allegations of genocide and invokes its right to self-defense.
It could take years before a final decision is reached. Trump's idea of South Africa Essentially, according to van Heerden, US President Donald Trump is saying: How can a country like South Africa bring Israel before the ICJ for alleged genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip when the South Africans themselves are committing genocide against white South Africans? South Africa's case against Israel at the ICJ has infuriated the Israeli government Image: Piroschka van de Wouw/REUTERS "He has this twisted notion in his head that he will convince the world that, after the Mandela years, we [South Africa] no longer have any moral authority in the world," he told DW. Through an emergency order in 2025, Trump made it possible for members of white minority groups from South Africa to enter and resettle in the US. The US State Department's decision now calls for raising the annual cap on refugee admissionsfor the 2026 fiscal year from 7,500 to 17,500. The additional 10,000 spots are reserved exclusively for white South Africans. The State Department estimates that the expanded program would cost around $100 million (€87 million). "This is a clear indication of an attempt to politicize protection," Gustavo De Carvalho, an expert on African governance and diplomacy at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), told DW. "The narrative that white South Africans are being persecuted in South Africa has resonated strongly even within the far-right movement in the United States," De Carvalho added. South African farmers refute Trump: No 'white genocide' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We have a crime problem in South Africa that is caused by the country's vast social inequality and poverty," van Heerden said, stressing that all segments of the population had been affected.
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