What You Need to Know
South Africa’s immigration authorities conducted a raid on a US asylum center in Johannesburg, resulting in the arrest of seven Kenyans working illegally. The US government condemned the action as “unacceptable,” highlighting ongoing tensions between the two nations over immigration policies and treatment of white South African citizens seeking asylum.
Africa. South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs announced that immigration authorities executed a raid on a US asylum center in Johannesburg, resulting in the arrest of seven Kenyans working illegally and issuing orders for their deportation. This action has been described by Washington as “unacceptable.”
The targeted center processes asylum applications from white South African citizens, who have been prioritized in the US asylum program under President Donald Trump.
This policy has sparked widespread controversy, as Trump insists that the African minority is facing “persecution” from the black-majority government, a claim that Pretoria rejects as misleading.
This issue has contributed to rising tensions between the two countries since Trump’s return to the White House.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated that “interference in our refugee operations is unacceptable,” emphasizing that the US has requested urgent clarifications from the South African government and expects “full cooperation and accountability.”
This stance comes amid Washington’s refusal to allow any interference in its refugee programs, which are implemented through contracted NGOs such as the “Global Service Church,” which manages the “RSC Africa” center responsible for processing applications.
The case arises in the context of escalating tensions between the two nations, as Washington boycotted the G20 summit hosted by South Africa last month.
Trump announced that he would prevent Pretoria from participating in the next summit and issued a decision to halt US aid to South Africa, accusing it of pursuing “anti-American” policies through its relations with Iran and the Palestinian Authority.
However, the South African government maintains that white citizens do not face systemic persecution, and thus do not meet the criteria for asylum, although it does not prevent them from submitting individual applications.
In contrast, the Trump administration has reduced the refugee admission cap to 7,500 annually, allocating most slots to white Africans, with the first group having already arrived in the United States last May.
The relationship between South Africa and the United States has been strained in recent years, particularly under the Trump administration. Trump’s controversial stance on immigration and his focus on white South African asylum seekers have sparked significant debate and criticism, both domestically and internationally.
The South African government has consistently rejected claims of systemic persecution against white citizens, arguing that such assertions are misleading and politically motivated.
