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Monday, February 16, 2026

Some Afrikaner ‘refugees’ in the US barely scraping by – Report

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A new report has highlighted the challenges faced by some Afrikaner “refugees” in the US, as they allege they have been left to fend for themselves, with very poor housing set-ups, no access to government agencies to apply for social security and Medicaid and relying on handouts from neighbours.

 

The report by the Free Press (which is affiliated with CBS News) has found that some Afrikaners are “languishing in cockroach-infested apartments, walking miles to the grocery store for food, and eating just one meal a day to save money.”

 

President Donald Trump has prioritised giving refugee status to Afrikaners, and according to the Free Press, just more than 1,600 Afrikaners have arrived in the US, with more than 5,000 others to follow by September this year.

 

But for many, the dream of a new life in America has had a very bumpy start.

 

Free Press Investigative reporter Madeleine Rowley spoke to 10 Afrikaner refugees who said they’re spending weeks in motels and unsafe areas, and they’re being offered housing that is full of mould.

 

Each refugee is allotted $2,000, and all of that has been going to rent, which means they are left with nothing, while getting very little help from government agencies, which are supposed to help them apply to jobs, obtain temporary benefits such as SNAP and Medicaid.

 

Rowley says neighbours are having to step in because they can’t even get a hold of their resettlement agencies.

 

She says there is a network of Afrikaners through social media groups and WhatsApp sharing their experiences, and many are realising they are stuck in hotels, they only have a certain amount of food, no transportation, and they don’t have the right clothing to withstand the cold American winter.

 

Read the full report by Free Press HERE.

 

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

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