South Africa has privately assured the United States it will not obstruct Washington’s controversial refugee program for white South Africans, despite publicly rejecting the premise behind it. According to an internal US meeting summary, Pretoria agreed in late December to allow the program to continue after tensions flared over a police raid on a US refugee processing site in Johannesburg. While South African officials disputed claims that Afrikaners face persecution, they emphasized citizens’ right to migrate freely and signaled a desire to de-escalate diplomatic friction. The quiet diplomacy contrasts sharply with public clashes fueled by President Donald Trump’s allegations of “white genocide” and broader strains in US–South Africa relations, even as Afrikaner refugee admissions continue to climb.
CNBC Africa
