Controversy Erupts Over U.S. Granting Refugee Status to White South Africans

The Trump administration's decision to grant 59 white South Africans refugee status in the U.S. has drawn criticism from Democrats and confusion in South Africa. Critics have accused the administration of prioritizing refugees based on race, contrasting sharply with its previous policies of blocking mostly non-white refugee admissions.

President Trump claimed, without evidence, that Afrikaners were facing genocide in South Africa, escalating the narrative often found in right-wing circles. However, South Africa's government and critics, including U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, have dismissed these claims as unfounded and politically motivated.

Reports indicate that Afrikaners are being resettled in both Democratic and Republican states across the U.S. As a result, diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and South Africa may intensify, especially as President Trump withholds financial aid to South Africa over its land policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)