A controversy has emerged over the recent arrival of a group of white South Africans in the United States, who were granted refugee status under a relocation program announced by the Trump administration in February. The group, consisting of 49 people according to the Associated Press and 59 according to Reuters, was fast-tracked for refugee status, with the US government citing persecution and racial discrimination in their homeland as the justification.

However, South African leaders and scholars have disputed the qualification of “refugees” for these individuals, arguing that they do not meet the criteria for refugee status. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that “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.” He added that the individuals who have fled are not being persecuted and are instead leaving because they do not want to embrace the changes taking place in South Africa in accordance with its Constitution.

The US government’s decision to grant refugee status to white South Africans has been met with criticism, particularly given the country’s history of economic privilege and the fact that they do not face the same level of persecution as other groups. Dr. Oscar van Heerden, a senior research fellow at the University of Johannesburg, noted that the US had to call white South Africans “refugees” to justify the expenses necessary for their relocation. He also pointed out that South Africa has traditionally been a receiver of refugees from other countries, and that the Trump administration’s actions are trying to portray the country as a place where people are seeking refugee status.

The controversy has sparked a heated debate, with some arguing that the US government is prioritizing the resettlement of white South Africans over other groups, such as asylum seekers from Afghanistan. On the same day that the Afrikaners arrived in the US, the Trump administration revoked temporary deportation protections for Afghan people, citing an improved security situation and a stabilizing economy in Afghanistan.

The situation has also led to a diplomatic rift between the US and South Africa, with President Ramaphosa telling President Trump that he had received false information about the situation of white South Africans. Trump has planned to address the issue with South African leadership in a meeting next week. The arrival of the Afrikaners in the US has been seen as a significant development, with many questioning the validity of their refugee status and the motivations behind the US government’s decision to grant it to them.