Cape Town – US President Donald Trump has reportedly initiated “Mission South Africa”, an effort to relocate white Afrikaners to the US, citing challenges they face in South Africa.
According to The New York Times, the initiative involves converting commercial office space in Pretoria into emergency refugee centres, IOL reported on Monday.
The programme, rolled out in phases, has reviewed over 8,200 resettlement requests and identified 100 Afrikaners for potential refugee status, the report said.
Security escorts have been provided for interviews, and US officials in South Africa are expected to finalise long-term resettlement strategies by mid-April.
The initiative comes as the US restricts entry for other refugees, including those from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria.
Trump’s administration has also suspended financial aid to South Africa, citing concerns over policies like the Expropriation Act, which he claims target white farmers.
Meanwhile, Canadian immigration consultant Nicholas Avramis has cautioned Afrikaners against applying for asylum in the US, warning of potential long-term consequences.
Avramis told Newzroom Afrika that many Afrikaners have inquired about US asylum policies.
A Canadian immigration consultant has warned some members of the Afrikaans community against applying for asylum in the United States. Nicholas Avramis says making a refugee claim to the US or any other country impacts future application to other countries, including
Canada,… pic.twitter.com/LJqNQBDHIU— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 6, 2025
Avramis told NewZroom Afrika that many Afrikaners have inquired about US asylum policies.
“It’s a bit weird… Recently, we have been receiving calls from members of predominantly the Afrikaner community asking questions about this new refugee and asylum policy that the US has come up with. Which is quite interesting for us,””he said.
Avramis explained that asylum claims are governed by international conventions, but applicants must be aware that seeking refugee status can affect future visa applications for other countries, such as the UK or Australia.
“But you know, refugee and asylum claims are part of immigration in any country and they are really governed by the 1951 Convention Act, which allows individuals to make asylum claims if they fear prosecution or serious harm,” he said.
“One thing people don’t understand is that when you make this claim or seek refugee status in any country, this will follow you for life. What does that mean? Well, when you go to make an application for a visitor visa to visit the UK or a study permit to Australia, immigration officials are going to ask you ‘have you been denied a visa?, have you applied for refugee status? And usually the threshold for immigration officers is to determine whether you gonna abide by your temporary visa status, whether you plan to return to your home country.
“But if you’ve made a refugee claim, you have declared that you wanna leave your country (in this case, South Africa) and you plan to never return. So it’s something that is going to follow you and something that you always have to explain during your travels.”
According to the South African Chamber of Commerce in the US, nearly 70,000 people have expressed interest in Trump’s offer.
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