Are all the ‘refugees’ in the second group white South Africans?

A second group of South African “refugees” has arrived in the United States through President Donald Trump’s resettlement programme. The programme welcomes all “racial minorities” from South Africa, including Afrikaners, who claim they have faced persecution.

But do the numbers reflect that?

Refugees land in the US – Are they exclusively white South Africans or Afrikaners?

Reports state that a second group of “refugees” arrived in the United States last week, made up of nine white South Africans and their families. Jaco Kleynhans, representing the Afrikaner rights group Solidarity Movement, said the group flew in on a commercial flight. Although it’s still uncertain whether other racial groups will join the programme, speculation suggests many Afrikaners are likely to be included.

Kleynhans told the media: “Several more groups will fly to the USA over the next few weeks. The US Embassy in Pretoria, in collaboration with the State Department in Washington DC, is currently processing 8,000 applications. And we expect many more Afrikaner refugees to travel to the USA over the next few months.

“They are settling in states across the USA, but particularly southern states such as Texas, North and South Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.” 

He continued: “Our primary focus is not refugee status for Afrikaners. But rather to find ways to ensure a free, safe, and prosperous future for Afrikaners in South Africa. We remain 100% convinced that South Africa can and must create a home for all its people.”

RACIAL MINORITIES ‘ALSO WELCOME’

While many Afrikaners and white South Africans have seemingly been prioritised in the group, other smaller communities are also welcome to apply for refugee status in the US.

Last month, the US Embassy issued a statement detailing the resettlement programme, which was extended to “racial minorities” in South Africa.

Despite initially being targeted at Afrikaner farmers and white people, US authorities have since included coloured, Indian, and “mixed-race” South Africans.

Applicants must prove that they are “persecuted” South Africans who are victims of “racial discrimination”.