On May 12, 2025, a plane chartered by the U.S. government landed at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. On board were 59 white South Africans, known as Afrikaners, including children. They were admitted as refugees at a time when the general U.S. refugee program was suspended for almost everyone else.
How it came about
On January 20, 2025, the President suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. On February 7, Executive Order 14204, “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa,” created an exception for Afrikaners. The group that arrived in May was the first to come under it. They were greeted at the airport by the Deputy Secretary of State and the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.
Timeline
- January 20, 2025: the general refugee admissions program is suspended.
- February 7, 2025: Executive Order 14204 creates the exception for Afrikaners.
- May 12, 2025: the first 59 people arrive at Dulles.
- May 2025: the Episcopal Church says it will not help resettle the group and will end its resettlement partnership with the federal government. Later that month, South Africa’s president meets President Trump at the White House.
- September 2026: the administration tells Congress it plans to admit 17,500 refugees in the 2027 fiscal year, primarily Afrikaners.
What each side said
The U.S. government says Afrikaners are victims of government-sponsored, race-based discrimination in South Africa.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the group does “not fit the definition of a refugee.” The Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop cited the church’s commitment to racial justice in explaining its decision.
The numbers
According to The Christian Science Monitor, nearly 12,900 refugees were admitted in the 2026 fiscal year, almost all of them from South Africa, and they were settled across 34 states. In the 2024 fiscal year, the United States admitted more than 100,000 refugees from 85 countries.
What is disputed
Whether Afrikaners face persecution is disputed between the two governments. Most outlets reported 59 arrivals on the first flight; at least one headline gave the figure as 49.
Why the story drew attention
Refugee status in U.S. law depends on a well-founded fear of persecution on specific grounds, and the President sets the annual number and priorities for admissions. This episode showed how much those priorities can change from one year to the next.
Sources
This article is a summary of publicly reported events, prepared for general information. It is not legal advice and does not take a position on the matters described. Immigration rules and court rulings change often, and every situation is different. For advice about your own circumstances, please speak with a licensed immigration attorney.
