A move comes as the US administration largely closes hospitalizations of refugees from countries experiencing widespread violence and poverty.
A group of 59 white Africans from South Africa have arrived in the United States as part of a refugee programme established by US President Donald Trump’s administration to provide sanctuary from what Trump portrayed as racism against white people.
At a press conference Monday, Trump reflects the far-right popular mythical claim that white South Africans have been exposed to systematic violence since the country’s white minority domination.
“It’s a genocide that’s happening,” Trump told White House reporters.
This move comes as the Trump administration blocks hospitalization of almost all refugees from non-white countries and leaps towards rhetoric about the “aggression” of immigrants from poor countries.
People fleeing widespread violence and persecution in countries like Haiti and Afghanistan have found closed doors, but Al Jazeera correspondent Patty Kalhane says the Trump administration has “made a priority to get these people.” [white South Africans] Go to the US and pay for them to get here.”
“The wrong end of the stick”
The South African government has called Trump’s claim that Africans face “completely false” in persecution. Even after supporting the white minority domination of the country’s political, economic and military resources, they remained among the richest and “most economically privileged” groups, denying fundamental rights to South Africa’s majority.
According to a review of political and economics, white South Africans still own about three-quarters of all private property in the country, with about 20 times the wealth of the black majority.
“We believe the US government has the wrong end of the stick here, but we’ll continue talking to them,” South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, a veteran in the struggle to end apartheid, said on Monday.
Tensions between the Trump administration and the South African government are high, with the United States rising for its previous criticism of Trump and for conflict with the prominent positions of African countries in front of international courts that have denounced Israel as Gaza’s genocide.
The Trump administration offered to resettle Africans, descendants of South African Dutch settlers, in February, saying they face discrimination and violence against African farmers.
“I want you to know that you are truly welcome here and that we respect what you have had to deal with over the last few years.” “We respect the long traditions of your people and what you have accomplished over the years.”
Bill Freric, director of refugee policy at Human Rights Watch, said the rapid process of bringing Africans to the US is unprecedented.
“These are people who did not live in refugee camps and did not flee their country. They were the groups most associated with the oppression of a black majority through apartheid,” Freric said. “These aren’t necessarily one of the most vulnerable refugees in the world.”
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