President Donald Trump on Monday defended granting refugee status to dozens of white South Africans, amid criticism that his administration unfairly prioritizes them over refugees fleeing violence elsewhere, Politico reported.
Trump stood by his administration's controversial decision to admit 49 white Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees, rejecting criticism that the move discriminates against nonwhite refugees from conflict-torn nations.
"It is a genocide that is taking place that you people don't want to write about," Trump told reporters during a briefing on a separate pharmaceutical pricing executive order. "It's a terrible thing that's taking place, and farmers are being killed. They happen to be white, but whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me."
Trump's remarks came after the Afrikaners arrived Monday morning through a special refugee initiative established earlier this year under a February executive order that specifically aims to provide a pathway for "the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation."
The policy marks a stark departure from Trump's broader approach to refugee admissions, which has severely restricted entry for individuals from countries like Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo despite documented violence and humanitarian crises.
South Africa's government dismissed Trump's allegations as baseless.
Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa's Foreign Ministry, said last week that the claims made by the Trump administration "do not meet the threshold of persecution required under domestic and international refugee law."
Trump also indicated that his planned meeting next week with South African officials may be contingent on addressing alleged discrimination against Afrikaners. Trump said he doesn't know if he can attend "unless that situation is taken care of."
Critics argue the Trump administration's selective refugee policy unfairly favors Afrikaners — an ethnic minority that historically enforced the oppressive apartheid regime in South Africa — over refugees fleeing war and famine who have traditionally waited years for entry to the U.S.
Individuals eligible for the Afrikaner resettlement program must be South African nationals of Afrikaner ethnicity or members of other racial minorities, and they must demonstrate either past persecution or credible fear of future persecution, according to guidelines listed on the Department of State's website.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on Phiri's criticisms.
Refugee advocacy groups have strongly condemned the Trump administration's policy, noting that thousands from conflict zones remain barred from entry despite ongoing violence and humanitarian emergencies.
The Afrikaners claim systemic discrimination in South Africa, pointing to affirmative action initiatives and recent land expropriation laws, which Trump says unfairly target white landowners. However, the South African government maintains its policies are aimed at correcting historical injustices and denies accusations of persecution or government-endorsed racism.