Trump Proposes Resettlement Plan for White South Africans

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order instructing government agencies to prioritize aid for white South African refugees, which may include resettlement programs. This decision follows the passage of a land expropriation law in South Africa aimed at addressing racial disparities in land ownership.

In an order released on Friday, Trump criticized Pretoria for displaying a “shocking disregard for the rights of its citizens” and alleged that recently passed legislation permits the government to seize agricultural property from Afrikaner ethnic minorities without providing compensation.

Afrikaners are the descendants of European settlers, primarily from the Netherlands, who arrived in what is now South Africa during the 17th century. Despite apartheid ending in the 1990s, white farmers continue to own most of the country’s land. To address this disparity, Pretoria aims to transfer 30% of farmland ownership to black farmers by 2030.

According to Trump’s order, the policies of the South African government were allegedly designed to deny equal employment, education, and business opportunities to the white minority while inciting violence against “racially disfavored landowners.”

The presidential decree mandates a suspension of all aid to South Africa until its “unjust and immoral practices” cease. It also instructs the relevant departments and officials, such as the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, to give priority to humanitarian relief efforts for Afrikaners in South Africa, including their admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program.

The document additionally criticizes Pretoria for allegedly “undermining United States foreign policy,” thereby posing a national security threat to Washington, its interests, and allies. South Africa’s so-called “aggressive positions” include accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice and strengthening relations with Iran through various “commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.”

According to the document, the measures implemented by the executive order will remain effective as long as South Africa persists in “practices that harm” the United States. Washington and Pretoria have also recently had disputes concerning land ownership law.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously declared that he would not attend a G20 meeting in South Africa later this month, criticizing Pretoria for “doing very bad things.” Additionally, Elon Musk, the billionaire originally from South Africa and now a close advisor to Trump, has labeled the legislation as “racist.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded by asserting that his country would “not be bullied.” He also noted the global increase in “nationalism and protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests,” though he refrained from specifically naming the US.