A bill, known as the Afrikaner Act in short, has been introduced in the US that will grant white, Afrikaans people special refugee status in America.
US congressman Troy Nehls presented the piece of legislation to the US House of Representatives last week, which proposes asylum for Afrikaners and their families. The Asylum for Farmers and Refugees in Crisis and Necessary Emigration Resettlement (AFRIKANER) Act will give people subject to alleged racial persecution due to land expropriation priority two refugee status, which points to an apparent need for resettlement.
“The Afrikaner population in South Africa has been experiencing unjust racial discrimination, and the situation continues to get worse by the day. President Trump is right. How Afrikaners are being treated is a massive human rights violation,” said Nehls.
READ MORE: Rep. Troy E. Nehls Introduces Bill to Give Afrikaner Population Priority-2 Refugee Status
BREAKING: I just introduced the AFRIKANER Act.
President Trump is right. How Afrikaners are being treated is a MASSIVE human rights violation.
My bill will offer Afrikaners a pathway to the US to flee the persecution they’ve lived through initiated by their own government. pic.twitter.com/kkNYac9zfq
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) April 3, 2025
In order for the bill to be passed, it must be approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate and then the president. Both the House and Senate are ruled by Republican majorities.
This bill was introduced days after a delegation of senior officials in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), led by Director-General Zane Dangor, met with a delegation in the US to discuss misconceptions on land expropriation.
“We believe that these dialogues will assist to refine the current administration’s understanding of South Africa’s position on critical matters, fostering a more nuanced perspective,” read DIRCO’s statement on 1 April.
DIRCO spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said these discussions were “cordial and receptive, but also noted that talks would be ongoing.
This article has been updated with additional information.
