The first group of white Afrikaners granted refugee status by the US Government is expected to arrive in Washington this morning.  They departed OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg yesterday.

The group reportedly includes 49 Afrikaners, comprising families, older people and some younger couples.

The chartered aircraft is expected to arrive at Dulles International Airport, outside Washington DC.  

A press event is expected to be hosted by senior officials from the Departments of State and Homeland Security to welcome this first group of Afrikaners – two departments tasked in President Donald Trump’s February 7 Executive Order with prioritizing their admission and resettlement.

The expedited processing of the group comes at a time when desperate refugees from other countries have been blocked from the USA, with immigration a hot button issue for the current administration.

A statement from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on Friday called it “most regrettable that the resettlement of South Africans to the United States under the guise of being refugees is entirely politically motivated and designed to question South Africa’s constitutional democracy.”

In a statement, the US State Department says the white Afrikaner refugees are victims of unjust racial discrimination.

A group of 49 White Afrikaners who have been granted refugee status by the President of the United States of America ⁦Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Washington today. Many have questioned the speed in which processing of their documents was done.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/VEhgW41HMM

— Sophie Mokoena (@Sophie_Mokoena) May 12, 2025

The South African government has dismissed unfounded allegations that the white Afrikaners are being targeted for persecution and discriminatory laws in South Africa.

Last Friday, the South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, spoke to his US counterpart on this matter.

VIDEO | 1st SA refugees expected in the US: