"Refugee Racists": 49 Afrikaners Granted Refugee Status in America Sparks Outrage in SA

• 49 White Afrikaners have travelled to the United States and will be granted refugee status
• The South African government said the group was not subjected to any kind of persecution that would qualify them as refugees
• Comments poured in from Mzansi peeps who flooded the comments section expressing their thoughts

Newly released visuals of the group of 49 Afrikaner refugees who reportedly fled South Africa and settled in the United States have reignited online debate, with many Mzansi social media users weighing in on the controversial migration.

Visuals of 49 Afrikaner refugees in America spark debate

The images, shared by abegreenleaf on X, have spread across various platforms. It showcases the group, mostly families with young children, who were welcomed by the American government.

The Afrikaners reportedly left South Africa citing political and safety concerns. According to President Donald Trump, the Afrikaner minority's refugee applications were processed more quickly because they were the targets of alleged "racial discrimination."

According to the South African government, the group was not subjected to any kind of persecution that would qualify them as refugees.

All other refugee admissions have been suspended by the Trump administration, including those for applicants from conflict areas. Thousands of people, many of whom were Black and Afghan refugees, had been refused asylum in the United States, according to Human Rights Watch, which called the action a cruel racial twist.

US officials welcomed the party of white South Africans when they arrived at Dulles airport, which is close to Washington, DC, on Monday, 12th May 2025.

In the welcome area, which had red, white, and blue balloons on the walls, several people carried small children and waved tiny American flags.

Their images, which are making the rounds on social media, have sparked mixed reactions across the country. With the resurfacing of the visuals, some South Africans online questioned the legitimacy of their refugee status, while others expressed understanding, pointing to ongoing socioeconomic challenges in the country.

In an attempt to improve ties with South Africa's second-largest trading partner, President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed to have told Trump recently that the US had been misinformed about a "fringe group" of Afrikaners who wanted to leave, and that they didn't meet the criteria for refugees.

This comes after billionaire Elon Musk, who is allegedly Donald Trump’s senior advisor, spread a conspiracy theory claiming that there is a "genocide" of white people in the country.

"There is no persecution of those who have escaped. They're not being harassed, they're not being mistreated, and they're going supposedly because they don't want to accept the constitutionally mandated changes occurring in our nation," Ramaphosa stated during a panel discussion in Ivory Coast on Monday.

"We will continue to communicate with the American government, even though we believe they are being treated unfairly in this situation."

Take a look at the post below:

SA reacts to the 49 white Afrikaners

The online community responded with mixed reactions as they flooded the comments sections sharing their thoughts.

AbeGreenleaf said:

"I think they’re going to be good for America."

Alan Holman added:

"Refugee Racists...Just what we need."

Ilkka Kemppainen wrote:

"Perhaps a happy bunch of people close to."

Cork Off replied:

"I love how none of them look like they’re are fleeing persecution."

King Repe commented:

"It's all about the colour of their skin who is allowed to come."

What you need to know about Afrikaners moving to the USA

• Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 to classify Afrikaner farmers as refugees.
• AfriForum stated that Afrikaners would not be leaving the country despite Trump’s offer.
• The SA Chamber of Commerce in the US (SACCUSA) server crashed due to the number of people applying for refugee status.
• In March 2025, the US Embassy provided an update on resettlement plans for Afrikaners.
• The SA Chamber of Commerce in the US announced that it received over 67,000 applications from Afrikaners for refugee status.

Source: Briefly News