U.S. welcomes South African refugees

DULLES, Virginia—Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau greeted 59 Afrikaners in a private hangar at Dulles International Airport on Monday. The group of adults and children waved American flags and held manila envelopes containing their asylum applications. Landau told the group that the United States welcomes farmers who have been racially persecuted. The arrival is the first group that has been accepted as refugees in the country since President Donald Trump prioritized their admission when he took office.

What happened to the Afrikaners? On Feb. 7, Trump issued an executive order to reopen the refugee program for Afrikaners, people of Dutch descent living in South Africa. He accused the South African government of discriminating against Afrikaners because they are white. In remarks in the Oval Office Monday morning, Trump said the government is committing genocide of Afrikaners. Last year, the government passed the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 to reappropriate private property. South African officials characterize it as a way to redistribute land that was unfairly withheld from black people during apartheid, but it does not allow them to simply seize land. The government has denied claims of genocide or that it is failing to protect white people. In a briefing with reporters at Dulles, Landau said that each refugee was vetted and had provided credible evidence that qualified him or her for refugee status.

What is the administration’s refugee policy? The Trump administration suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, or USRAP, on Jan. 20. It also allowed temporary protected status to expire for several refugees already admitted, including Afghan allies and Christians who fled the Taliban. Additionally, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Monday that she was terminating all temporary protected status designations for Afghanistan effective on July 12. She said conditions in the country had stabilized. So far, the State Department has only allowed Afrikaners to apply under USRAP.