Nearly 5,000 white South African Afrikaners have been welcomed to the United States under a program launched by Donald Trump almost a year ago.
A controversial initiative, based on accusations of persecution targeting this minority, which the South African government firmly denies.
According to an official document, more than 4,400 South Africans were resettled in 48 US states between last October and the end of March.
In addition to this, there are 340 more arrivals after Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025.
The months of February and March saw the largest increases, with more than 1,300 people being accommodated each month.
This program is an exception in a hardened immigration policy. The Trump administration significantly reduced refugee acceptance but prioritized Afrikaners.
Washington claims that this community has been the victim of discrimination, even targeted violence, since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Pretoria rejected these accusations, noting that the majority of crime victims are black South Africans.
South African authorities also defend their affirmative action policies, designed to correct inequalities inherited from apartheid.
This issue is fueling diplomatic tensions between the two countries, which are already at odds on several issues.
