U.S. Prepares to Receive First Group of White South African Refugees 

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U.S. Prepares to Receive First Group of White South African Refugees 
U.S. Prepares to Receive First Group of White South African Refugees 

United States: The United States is already attempting to receive the first group of white South Africans it has identified as refugees into the country early next week, The New York Times has reported, Reuters reported on Friday, citing officials briefed by the plans and documents received by the newspaper. 

Afrikaners Set to Arrive in U.S. Next Week 

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans a mission of officials to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia for the arrival of the South Africans, which include the white minority Afrikaner ethnic group, NYT reported, citing a memo from the Department of Health and Human Services, as reported by Reuters. 

The White House and HHS had not responded immediately to Reuters’ requests for comment. 

The administration had initially planned that the Afrikaners would be welcomed the following Monday, but a number of officials who were well versed with the matter warned the plans were still in flux, depending on the logistics of the flight and the processing of the group, it noted. 

Executive Order Cites Racial Discrimination 

Trump signed on February 7 an executive order that demanded the U.S. to accept Afrikaners as refugees. It said Afrikaners, descendants of mostly Dutch early settlers, were “victims of unjust racial discrimination”. 

Trump’s executive order, according to South Africa’s Foreign Ministry, “lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid” in February, as reported by Reuters. 

The order followed suspension of all U.S. refugee admissions citing pressures of security and cost issues. Many Afghans, and Congolese and others who left conflict areas, were trapped after clearance due to verification.