South Africa raids US refugee centre, arrests seven Kenyans

South Africa's Home Affairs Ministry has reported that a center in Johannesburg, processing applications for the United States refugee program, was raided by immigration and law enforcement officers. Seven Kenyan nationals were arrested for working there illegally.

The center was involved in processing applications by white South Africans under a U.S. program initiated during the Trump administration, prioritizing them for refugee status. The arrested Kenyans were found working alongside U.S. officials while on tourist visas, which do not permit employment.

Background and Diplomatic Implications

The raid may escalate tensions between the U.S. and South Africa. The U.S. program, which offers refugee status to white South Africans, was established following claims of persecution against this minority group, although these claims have been disputed by the South African government.

South Africa maintains that white South Africans do not qualify for refugee status due to a lack of persecution evidence but allows them to apply for U.S. relocation.

The Kenyan nationals were reportedly employed by a Kenya-based company, RSC Africa, contracted by the U.S. government to manage refugee applications. RSC Africa is operated by Church World Service, a U.S.-based NGO. Previous visa refusals for Kenyans to work on this program have raised questions about the legality of their presence in the country.

South Africa's Foreign Ministry has initiated diplomatic discussions with the United States and Kenya to address this issue.

The seven Kenyan nationals have received deportation orders and are banned from re-entering South Africa for five years.

Based on reporting by Africanews.