Trump Refugee Programme Sees Over 150 Afrikaners Depart South Africa for America

• More than 150 white Afrikaners boarded a flight out of OR Tambo International Airport on Monday to resettle in the United States under Donald Trump's fast-tracked refugee scheme
• Heartbreaking scenes played out at the departure gate as a young Afrikaans-speaking boy broke down in tears, begging not to leave South Africa and his friends
• Departing families highlighted violent crime, a lack of financial security, and vanishing economic prospects as their primary reasons for packing up their lives

Emotional goodbyes and heartbreaking scenes played out at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday, 9 November 2026, as more than 150 white Afrikaners boarded an Air France flight bound for the United States under Donald Trump's fast-tracked refugee programme. Carrying multiple suitcases and wearing red identification tags, families slowly checked in for their flight via Paris before heading to various resettlement locations across America.

While many adults expressed relief at the prospect of leaving behind relentless crime, lack of job security, and an uncertain economy, the move proved intensely emotional for younger family members. The human cost of the sudden move was laid bare at the terminal, where a young Afrikaans-speaking boy sobbed inconsolably to his parents, pleading that he did not want to board the plane because he would miss his friends and his home country too much.

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Escape from crime and financial distress

For the adults making the life-altering leap, the journey represents a bid for basic survival and stability. An Afrikaner couple waiting at the gate told The Citizen that urban life had become unbearable, stating they simply no longer felt safe and believed life would be better in the US.

Another departing father, who spent 16 years working on a farm in the North West province, explained to the publication that economic stagnation pushed him to apply for refugee status on behalf of his wife and two children. The farmworker revealed that despite dedicating 16 years of hard labour to agriculture, he had walked away with zero savings, no retirement safety net, and no healthcare cover. Combined with escalating violent crime, these factors left him with no alternative but to relocate, expressing confidence that his trade as a mechanic repairing vehicles and tractors would secure his family's livelihood in the US. He added that his family had been allocated accommodation in Texas, where he aims to rebuild from scratch.

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Trump administration prioritises Afrikaners

The large-scale departure follows an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump in 2025 that fast-tracked refugee admissions for white South Africans claiming racial discrimination and targeted violence. Afrikaners have accounted for an estimated 99% of admissions under this category since late 2025, even as broader US refugee intake has faced tight restrictions. While the policy continues to draw fierce international debate, Washington has proposed expanding the cap to 17,500 admissions as arrivals approach the initial 7,500 ceiling, signalling that more families may soon make the same tearful trip through OR Tambo's gates.

3 Briefly News articles about Afrikaner refugees

• An Afrikaner TikTok creator living as a refugee in the US broke down while describing the emotional weight of packing an entire lifetime into three bags and leaving South Africa behind.
• The Trump administration proposed nearly doubling initial federal resettlement assistance to approximately R72,000 ($4,500) per person, directly benefiting incoming white South African refugees who make up over 99% of admissions under the targeted scheme.
• A US-based expat explained that Afrikaner refugee applicants are being rejected for failing to prove a credible fear of future persecution, urging them to accept the final decision.

Source: Briefly News