White South African Refugees Welcomed by Trump Admin as They Arrive in US

The first group of white South Africans has arrived in the U.S. after President Donald Trump granted them refugee status.

The decision to admit the Afrikaners came despite Trump's immigration crackdown that has seen other asylum seekers, from Africa and elsewhere, turned away.

However, this new group of migrants was treated to a welcoming committee as they first set foot on American soil. Senior officials from Trump's administration were waiting at the Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. to personally greet the new arrivals on Monday.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment outside of regular working hours.

Why It Matters

The decision to admit the white South Africans comes in spite of Trump's attempt to cut migration across the board. The president has been heavily criticized after his decision to grant the Afrikaners refugee status at the same time as blocking access for others. And Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organization, described the apparent contradiction as a "racial twist in Trump's cutoff of refugee admissions."

But Trump said he was helping the Afrikaners because they had been subject to violence in their home country, adding: "Farmers are being killed, they happen to be white, but whether they're white or Black makes no difference to me."

What To Know

Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar addressed the crowd of dozens of people, including families with children. Many of them were seen waving American flags.

The Afrikaners who flew to the U.S. on Monday are claiming refugee status, saying they are being persecuted by their government.

Trump says South Africa's white minority, which once benefited from a segregated country under the notorious apartheid regime, has been subject to racial discrimination and violence.

And his friend, Elon Musk―who grew up in South Africa―claims that a "genocide of white people" is underway in the country, although that allegation has been widely discredited according to the BBC.

Their concerns follow tensions over South Africa's Expropriation Act, which was signed into law in January by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ruling ANC party. The legislation aims to address land ownership disparities rooted in the country's apartheid past with land reforms. While the law permits expropriation without compensation under specific circumstances, the South African government insists that private property rights remain protected.

Ramaphosa says Afrikaners have not suffered persecution and therefore cannot even be considered refugees under the usual meaning of the word.

What People Are Saying

Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau told the Afrikaners: "Welcome. Welcome to the United States of America. It is such an honor for us to receive you here today. This is the land of the free!"

Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar added: "Welcome. It's so great to have you guys here."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said: "A refugee is someone who has to leave their country out of fear of political persecution, religious persecution, or economic persecution. And they don't fit that bill."

What Happens Next

The newly-arrived Afrikaners will settle into their new home. In the meantime, the debate about U.S. immigration looks set to rumble on.