US refugee Act for ‘persecuted’ Afrikaners heats up US-SA tensions

Trump

Cape Town – The United States is moving forward with efforts to grant refugee status to Afrikaners fleeing alleged persecution in South Africa.

Momentum around the issue has grown with the introduction of a bill in Congress titled the Asylum for Farmers and Refugees in Crisis and Necessary Emigration Resettlement (AFRIKANER) Act.

Proposed by Republican Congressman Troy Nehls, the bill seeks to designate Afrikaners as Priority-2 refugees, expediting their resettlement process.

“The Afrikaner population in South Africa has been experiencing unjust racial discrimination, and the situation continues to get worse by the day,” said Nehls.

“President Trump is right. How Afrikaners are being treated is a massive human rights violation. My bill will offer Afrikaners a pathway to the United States to flee the persecution they’ve lived through initiated by their own government.”

The proposal follows the enactment of South Africa’s Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, which permits the government to seize private property without compensation.

The law has sparked widespread criticism, particularly over its impact on Afrikaner farmers, who make up approximately seven percent of South Africa’s population.

On February 2, 2025, US President Donald Trump condemned the law, calling it “a massive human rights violation”.

Days later, on February 7, Trump moved to suspend all US aid to South Africa and instructed his administration to facilitate the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping race-based discrimination.

If passed, the AFRIKANER Act would prioritise the resettlement of “affected individuals”, easing their entry into the US under the refugee programme.

The bill is expected to spark debate over US immigration policy and Washington’s diplomatic ties with South Africa, a longstanding trade and strategic partner.

Meanwhile, Congressman Ronny Jackson has introduced the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, calling for a full reassessment of diplomatic ties between Washington and Pretoria.

Co-led by Representative John James, the legislation would grant President Trump new authority to impose sanctions on South African officials accused of corruption and aligning with adversarial nations such as China, Russia, and Iran.

In a statement, Jackson accused South Africa of deliberately shifting its foreign policy away from the US, warning that such actions should have consequences.

“South Africa has brazenly abandoned its relationship with the United States to align with China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist organizations, a betrayal that demands serious consequences,” said Jackson.

“This legislation ensures we conduct a comprehensive review of this supposed ‘ally’ while also holding accountable any corrupt officials. The era of governments undermining American interests without repercussions ends now.”

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