After receiving a huge number of inquiries from ‘Afrikaners’ about resettlement in the USA, the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (SACCUSA) has written to the US State Department and the US Embassy in South Africa, to provide official guidance to Afrikaners who wish to apply for refugee status in America.
According to reports, SACCUSA received 20,000 email inquiries less than two days after President Donald J. Trump signed his Executive Order on February 7, which offers Afrikaners refugee status due to their alleged mistreatment in South Africa.
SACCUSA head Neil Diamond told media outlets that given the scale of the interest they estimate that the 20,000 figure could be extrapolated to represent over 50,000 individuals looking to leave South Africa and seek resettlement in the United States.
The order instructs the US Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to take steps to “prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement” for Afrikaner “refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.”
ALSO READ: Trump officially halts aid to SA, offers to resettle Afrikaner ‘refugees’
In a statement, SACCUSA says it cannot perpetually serve as an intermediary for inquiries related to this matter, hence the request for the US Embassy to take over.
“This transition ensures that the public receives accurate and official guidance from the appropriate U.S. government authorities and related agencies.”
The U.S. Embassy has activated an email address for this purpose: pretoriaprminfo@state.gov
South Africans have reacted to the Executive Order in a mixed manner. Many Afrikaners are distancing themselves from it, while others have welcomed it. The backlash against the Trump administration has also continued.
SAfrica is host to the 2nd largest foreign missions in the world after Washington D.C. Of all the embassies in Pretoria, including the UN Office for Human Rights, you are the only ones monitoring non-existent “land seizures”. I suppose the lies will be incomplete without you. https://t.co/k0MH7Rg0pQ
— Vincent Magwenya 🇿🇦 (@SpokespersonRSA) February 11, 2025
This is insane. Prices there is no point sending anyone to Washington unless Ambassador Rasool says so and has secured meetings. There’s no misunderstanding. It is a calculated move. If there are people foolish enough to believe it is about them Afrikaners I wish them good luck. pic.twitter.com/X5VN6olfc4
— Mbhazima Shilowa (@Enghumbhini) February 13, 2025
Max du Preez: “For years, Solidarity and AfriForum have been nagging the US to view Afrikaners as victims, but only with a madman in the White House could this happen. Now we other Afrikaners must step in and show that we are not all like that’.” https://t.co/NTsAdNplP1
— Pierre de Vos ⚖️ (@pierredevos) February 12, 2025
Many on social media have also been poking fun at the whole debacle:
Can we be serious for once??😭😭😭 Afrikaners arrr not going to America 🙆♂️ pic.twitter.com/c0v6XD0wes
— Peché Africa 🇿🇦 (@pmcafrica) February 10, 2025
Tell Donald Trump that these ones say they are South African first before they are Afrikaners. pic.twitter.com/yrfGiN0fBM
— TK_Nala (@NalaThokozane) February 12, 2025
No matter what happens we are keeping this bro and giving him more land because he is one of us❤️🇿🇦🧬#Afriforum #Afrikaners pic.twitter.com/MZKn3iLJpq
— ANDILE (@dyanoftheyear) February 8, 2025
South Africans after Trump made his big announcement. #Refugee #Afrikaners 🇿🇦 #AllesGaanOkayWees pic.twitter.com/HNTPSfmLen
— Sitdown Comedian (@BouwerBosch) February 8, 2025
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