US Rejects Dozens of White South African Refugee Applicants Amid Faltering 'Afrikaner' Program

A US refugee programme created for white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, appears to be slowing down, with dozens of applicants reportedly rejected in recent months, according to the Guardian.

The programme was announced by President Donald Trump in February 2025, when he said the United States would accept Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees. Trump has repeatedly claimed that white South Africans face a "white genocide" in their country, an assertion that has been widely disputed and described by fact-checkers and South African authorities as false.

According to the Guardian, many white South Africans who believed they were victims of racism welcomed Trump's announcement, viewing it as validation of their fears and a potential path to resettlement in the United States. The report says some applicants described feeling that "their prayers had been answered" when the programme was unveiled.

However, the Guardian reports that in recent months dozens of applicants to the refugee programme have been rejected. Those denied refugee status told the Guardian they were left confused and dismayed, questioning why they would be required to remain in circumstances that Trump has characterized as a "white genocide" if their applications were not approved.

One applicant quoted in the report said they had "believed the hype" surrounding the programme's promises before facing rejection.

The Guardian's report suggests the drive to relocate thousands of Afrikaners to the United States is showing signs of slowing, though the source material reviewed does not provide specific figures on total applications received, the number approved, or an official explanation from US authorities for the rejections.

South African officials have previously disputed characterizations of a "white genocide" in the country, and no independent verification of the "genocide" claim was included in the material reviewed for this report. The Guardian's reporting focuses on the experiences of individual applicants affected by the programme's implementation.