If all things work according to plan, the Trump administration has arranged plans to welcome the first set of white refugee farmers from South Africa next week.
- The Trump administration plans to welcome a group of white South African farmers classified as refugees next week.
- This initiative follows controversies surrounding South Africa’s land reform laws, aiming to redistribute land to correct historical inequities.
- South Africa denies targeting white farmers and invites investigation into farm-related violence statistics.
The plan to bring in the disenfranchised white farmers from South Africa, now classified as refugees, comes amid disagreements between President Trump and the South African government’s land policy reforms law.
According to a report by The New York Times, which cited competent sources, a memo from the Department of Health and Human Services indicates that the U.S. administration has finalized plans to send officials to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia for an event marking the arrival of the South Africans, who belong to the white minority Afrikaner ethnic group.
The April 30 memo viewed by The Lever, reports that officials with the Office of Refugee Resettlement wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, requesting approval for the “mobilization of immediate support for vulnerable incoming Afrikaner refugees,” including “housing, health services, and resettlement support upon their arrival.”
However, Reuters noted that the White House and HHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US and South Africa’s land policy
The controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s consideration of providing visas or other forms of support to white South African farmers—who claim to be facing persecution or land seizures due to their race—has generated quite a buzz in recent times.
This came to light following President Trump and Elon Musk’s open rebuke of South Africa’s land reform laws, which they described as racist.
Trump had also imposed strict sanctions against the South African government following the introduction of land reform laws.
South Africa’s land reform policies aim to address historical injustices by redistributing land from white to Black citizens. However, some white farmers claim they are being targeted and persecuted, leading to concerns about their safety and livelihoods.
President Trump has revived discussions about prioritizing these farmers for resettlement under humanitarian grounds. Citing their alleged persecution, Trump administration officials have reportedly considered offering fast-track refugee or humanitarian parole options.
Last month, news emerged that the U.S. had begun its first round of interviews for some South African applicants in Pretoria, with over 30 already approved.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism both domestically and internationally. Human rights organizations, South African leaders, and immigration advocates have labeled it racially biased and politically motivated.
The South African government has responded by denying the existence of a state-sanctioned campaign against white farmers and has invited independent investigations to verify farm-related violence statistics.
Meanwhile, critics within the U.S. argue that the Trump administration’s willingness to extend refuge to white South African farmers contrasts sharply with its treatment of migrants from Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East—groups that face far higher levels of displacement and documented persecution.
