News|Donald TrumpSouth Africa to deport Kenyans involved in US-Afrikaner refugee schemeForeign nationals arrested for illegally processing applications under Trump’s contentious programme for white South Africans.

South Africa has detained and plans to deport seven Kenyan nationals who were found working illegally at a refugee application processing center. This facility is part of a U.S. resettlement program specifically aimed at white Afrikaners.

The arrests occurred on Tue, Nov 25, 2025, in Johannesburg. Intelligence reports revealed that the individuals had entered South Africa on tourist visas and commenced employment despite previous denials of work visa applications by the South African Home Affairs Department.

The seven individuals will face a five-year ban from re-entering South Africa. This operation has resulted in a diplomatic dispute between South Africa and the United States, further intensifying existing tensions. The U.S. State Department has expressed that interference in their refugee operations is unacceptable and is seeking clarification regarding the incident.

Reports indicate that two U.S. government employees were briefly detained during the operation, although South African authorities stated that no American officials were arrested.

The Kenyan nationals were employed by processing centers operated by Amerikaners, a group associated with white South Africans, and RSC Africa, a Kenya-based organization managed by Church World Service. These organizations handle applications for the U.S. resettlement program, which has facilitated the relocation of small numbers of white South Africans to the U.S. this year.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation has initiated formal discussions with both the U.S. and Kenya, raising concerns about the presence of foreign officials working with undocumented workers and questioning the intent and diplomatic protocol.

The resettlement program was launched in February by an executive order from the U.S. President, aiming to prioritize Afrikaner refugees. The order, titled "Addressing Egregious Actions of The Republic of South Africa," resulted in the reduction of U.S. aid and set a historic low refugee ceiling of 7,500 for 2026, with most spots reserved for white South Africans.

South Africa's government has denied allegations of persecution against white South Africans. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola stated that there is no data supporting claims of such persecution, highlighting that Afrikaners are among the country's most economically privileged citizens. Major Afrikaner organizations, including AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement, have also rejected the U.S. President's characterization, declining the refugee offer to preserve cultural identity.

Relations between South Africa and the United States have deteriorated throughout 2025. The U.S. President has presented unsupported evidence to substantiate claims of persecution, including a controversial meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House. Additionally, actions such as expelling South Africa's ambassador, boycotting the G20 summit in Johannesburg, and excluding South Africa from the 2026 Miami G20 have further strained relations.

South Africa recently condemned its exclusion from the G20 as damaging to multilateralism, compounding the diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.