South African authorities raided a U.S. refugee facility in the country, briefly detaining U.S. staff who have been
processing white Afrikaner refugees.
The episode is sure to be a source of further tension between U.S. and South African officials who have denied claims from President Trump that the white minority there have been discriminated against by the government.
“The Trump Administration has consistently raised concerns about the treatment of Afrikaners in South Africa, including allegations of racial targeting, violence, and the failure of authorities to adequately protect certain communities. We are seeking immediate clarification from the South African government and expect full cooperation and accountability,” Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said in a statement.
“We’ll have more to say once all the facts are confirmed, but the Trump Administration will always stand up for U.S. interests, U.S. personnel, and the rule of law. Interfering in our refugee operations in unacceptable.”
Trump earlier this year
designated the lowest refugee cap in history, directing that the majority of the 7,500 slots go to white South Africans.
The move was blasted by critics as a misuse of the U.S. refugee program, which is open to citizens of all countries facing danger or persecution, regardless of race.
The South African embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.
Though staffed by U.S. refugee officers, the processing center is different than an embassy, which is considered U.S. grounds.
Trump has repeatedly expressed concern for the white minority group in South Africa, saying they face “hateful rhetoric” and “disproportionate violence.”
In setting the refugee cap, Trump directed that “the admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa.”
In referencing Afrikaners, Trump said the program should be open to those who face “illegal or unjust discrimination.” But that’s different from the existing standard of accepting those who have fled because of conflict, violence, or persecution.
South Africa’s government has denied Trump’s claims surrounding Afrikaners, calling them “completely false.”
Ebrahim Rasool, who briefly served as South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. earlier this year,
previously said Trump’s comments were “mobilising a supremacism” and trying to “project white victimhood as a dog whistle.”
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