South African authorities have arrested seven Kenyan nationals for allegedly illegally processing applications for white South Africans to support US President Trump’s efforts to bring them to the US, the Department of Home Affairs said on Wednesday.
“They were arrested and issued deportation orders and will be barred from entering South Africa for five years,” the department added.
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Refugee programme controversy
According to the U.S. embassy, refugee applications in South Africa are being handled by Amerikaners, a group led by white South Africans, and RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee support centre operated by Church World Service.
The arrested Kenyans, who were in South Africa on tourist visas, were employed by the resettlement support centre that expedited the processing of these applications.
Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump accused South Africa of discriminating against white minorities, particularly Afrikaners, suggesting they faced possible “genocide,” and indicated that they would be prioritised in a U.S. refugee resettlement programme.
However, South African authorities, rights groups, and prominent Afrikaners have dismissed these claims as unfounded.
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While the United States has reduced its annual refugee intake from 125,000 to 7,500, it has stated that Afrikaners, mostly descendants of Dutch and French settlers, will receive priority. Only a small number of Afrikaners have taken up the offer, with around 1,000 expected to relocate this year.
South Africa said the arrests show its commitment, shared with the United States, to combating illegal immigration and visa abuse in all forms.
The government also confirmed that formal diplomatic engagements have been initiated with both the United States and Kenya.
