White South African Men and Women Praise President Donald Trump’s Anti-Discrimination Policy

White South African Men and Women Praise President Donald Trump’s Anti-Discrimination Policy

 WASHINGTON, April 24, 2025   — Under a new policy by the Trump administration, a number of white South Africans have applied for asylum in the United States, citing land disputes, crime, and racial discrimination. Meanwhile, thousands of refugees from other parts of the world continue to be denied entry or are being deported.

Several applicants who participated in the first round of interviews in Pretoria told Reuters that U.S. embassy officials treated them with great empathy and listened attentively to their accounts of "persecution." According to reports, more than 30 applicants have already been approved for resettlement.

"The embassy staff were very kind," said a farmer named Mark, who asked that his full name not be disclosed for confidentiality reasons. He said he and his father were seriously injured in an attack on their family farm in 2023.

On February 7, 2025, Trump issued an executive order stating that Afrikaners — descendants of mostly Dutch settlers — were victims of "unjust racial discrimination." This order marked a reversal from Trump’s earlier stance of halting all refugee resettlement.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed that two refugee officers had traveled to Pretoria to conduct the interviews. Many applicants claimed persecution by Black South Africans, and some of those applications have already received preliminary approval.

However, some U.S. officials expressed concern over the narrative of "white victimhood," saying it has sparked mixed reactions within the administration. Some have raised doubts about the legitimacy of such claims.

The South African government has criticized Trump’s order, arguing that it disregards the country’s colonial history and ongoing racial inequality. They say it sends the wrong message by offering refugee status to the most economically privileged group in society.

Meanwhile, hundreds of white South Africans have joined WhatsApp groups to discuss the U.S. immigration process, lifestyle tips, and even logistics for bringing their pet dogs.

According to UNHCR data, as of 2024, there were only 70 South African refugees and 2,043 asylum seekers in the U.S., with no racial breakdown provided.

One applicant said police ignored her complaints and that, during the interview, she was asked the race of the assailants. Another said she received an invitation for an interview after writing a letter to the embassy expressing that she feared for her life “every day.”

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that "all relevant evidence" would be reviewed to determine whether applicants legally qualify as refugees.

White South Africans make up only 7.2% of the country’s 63 million population, with Afrikaners constituting around 60% of that minority.

Political analysts say the situation has sparked a new debate in global immigration policy — where a historically privileged group is now claiming refugee status.