Refugees Left Behind as US Fast-Tracks White South African Asylum

In January, a man named Pacito slept outside in a parking lot in Kenya. He was with his wife and baby. They were waiting to fly to the US as refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

But just before their flight, former US President Donald Trump stopped the refugee program. Their flight was canceled less than a day before takeoff.

Pacito had sold everything to get ready. Now he and his family are stuck in Kenya. It is safer than the DRC, but life is very hard.

They are one of about 120,000 refugees who were approved to enter the US. Now, they are in limbo.

Under former President Joe Biden, over 100,000 refugees came to the US in 2024. This was the highest number in nearly 30 years.

But since returning to office, Trump has moved fast to keep his “America First” promise. He has made it much harder for people to come to the US.

He has also started a big deportation program. Some people have been sent to unsafe places, even when judges said not to. Others had student visas taken away. Some are being offered $1,000 to leave the US on their own.

The government says it is removing people who are criminals or threats. But not all groups are treated the same.

In February, Trump signed a new order. It allows only white South Africans, called Afrikaners, to come as refugees. He says they face racism and danger in South Africa.

Earlier this month, 59 Afrikaners arrived in the US. They were welcomed by top US officials. Their cases were processed in just three months.

Pacito is frustrated. “It’s not fair,” he said. “We waited years. We did the security checks, health checks. They just got here fast.”

He also lost his music equipment. Now, he tries to find small jobs to feed his family. “It’s hard,” he said.

Trump claims white South Africans face “genocide.” Billionaire Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, agrees. But these claims are widely seen as false and have been denied by South Africa’s government.

A new law in South Africa allows the government to take land when it is fair and needed. This is to fix land ownership from the apartheid era. Whites make up 7% of the population but own 72% of the farmland.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said no land has been taken yet. But after the law passed, Trump froze US aid to South Africa. He later clashed with Ramaphosa in a live TV meeting.

Experts say Trump’s foreign policy is focused on cutting ties with other countries. He has ended many global aid programs, including funds for fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa. He says his team found fraud in those programs.

These cuts are in sharp contrast to how fast Afrikaners were accepted. Refugee support groups are upset.

Timothy Young from Global Refuge said: “If one group can come for safety, others should too—Afghans, religious minorities, and those facing real danger.”

Trump’s government has also ended special protections for Afghans in the US. It says Afghanistan is now safer, though many disagree.

Crime data in South Africa shows about 6,953 people were killed in late 2024. Only 12 were in farm attacks, and most of those killed were black workers, not white farmers.

In the DRC, thousands have been killed by armed groups, and many more have lost their homes.

Pacito left the DRC in 2016. “There were guns everywhere,” he said. His wife’s family members were killed.

Other families also feel hopeless. Amjad Hammad, a refugee from Gaza now in Egypt, said he was denied a US green card this year.

“If white South Africans are in danger, what about us?” he asked. Since 2023, over 53,000 people have died in Gaza, due to war between Israel and Hamas.

Now, Pacito and his family are homeless in Nairobi. They move from place to place. Sometimes they eat. Sometimes they don’t.

He doesn’t think Trump will let them into the US. But going back to the DRC is not an option.

“I can’t go back,” he said.