South Africa has agreed not to obstruct a U.S. refugee program allowing white South Africans to emigrate, according to a summary of an internal meeting reviewed by Reuters.
The assurance came during a closed-door session on December 23, following heightened diplomatic tensions after South African authorities raided a U.S. refugee processing site in Johannesburg. During the raid, American officers were briefly detained, and contractors were arrested.
The meeting summary indicates that South African officials told U.S. representatives they may continue to reject claims that white South Africans face genocide, but confirmed they would not block individuals’ right to emigrate under the program.
The initiative, launched by former President Donald Trump, prioritizes Afrikaners who he claimed are subject to race-based persecution, a characterization the South African government strongly disputes.
Bilateral relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months, including after Trump directly confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa over the genocide allegations and following Washington’s decision to bar South Africa from upcoming G20 meetings.
Despite the December raid, the U.S. State Department confirmed that refugee processing continues. Reports indicate that more Afrikaners arrived in the U.S. in December than in any previous month, with higher numbers expected in January. South Africa’s foreign ministry has denied negotiating the program with Washington.
