In a quietly unfolding shift in immigration policy, the United States has started processing and approving asylum applications from white South African farmers, igniting a complex debate over race, land, and political asylum.
More than 30 white South Africans have already been granted asylum, according to sources cited by Reuters. These individuals, mostly from agricultural backgrounds, argue that rising crime rates, land expropriation efforts, and what they perceive as racial discrimination have left them unsafe in their home country.
One farmer, who spoke anonymously due to the confidential nature of the process, said the interview experience at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria was unexpectedly welcoming. “The staff were exceptionally friendly. I could feel they had empathy,” he told Reuters.
So far, neither the U.S. embassy nor the State Department has publicly confirmed the exact number of applicants or approvals, but the move marks a controversial moment in America’s asylum system—especially amid broader efforts to tighten immigration enforcement for refugees from other parts of the world. 
This policy shift comes as U.S.–South Africa relations continue to deteriorate under President Donald Trump’s administration. Tensions have soared following South Africa’s passage of the Expropriation Act of 2024, which allows for land to be seized without compensation under specific conditions, part of a broader land reform strategy aimed at addressing historic injustices from the apartheid era.
President Trump has taken a hard stance against the policy, accusing the South African government of targeting white landowners based on race. In a series of executive actions, Trump froze U.S. financial aid to South Africa, slapped a 37% tariff on South African exports, and cut funding to critical health programs, including those focused on HIV/AIDS prevention.
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The administration also expelled South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, after Rasool publicly criticized Trump’s approach. In a further escalation, Trump offered white Afrikaner farmers the opportunity to resettle in the U.S., framing the invitation as a lifeline for individuals facing “violent persecution and unlawful property seizures.”
South African officials have pushed back hard against this narrative. They argue the reforms are necessary to address decades of economic inequality and land dispossession—and that white South Africans, who still control a large share of the nation’s wealth and land, remain economically dominant. The government insists the policy is constitutional and not driven by racial animus.
Still, Trump’s administration maintains that the asylum approvals are justified. While critics see hypocrisy in offering sanctuary to white farmers while turning away refugees from war-torn regions elsewhere, supporters argue that each case should be judged on its own merit—and that those facing credible threats, regardless of race, deserve protection.
With asylum interviews continuing in Pretoria and diplomatic tensions still high, this latest development underscores the increasingly globalized—and politicized—nature of race, property rights, and international protection.
