The United States is working to bring the first group of white South Africans it has classified as refugees to the country early next week, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing officials briefed on the plans and documents obtained by the newspaper.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration plans to send officials to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia for an event marking the arrival of the South Africans, who belong to the white minority Afrikaner ethnic group, NYT said, citing a memo from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The White House and the HHS did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The administration initially planned to welcome the Afrikaners on Monday, but some officials familiar with the matter cautioned that the plans remained in flux, subject to flight logistics and processing of the group, the report added.
Trump issued a February 7 executive order that called for the U.S. to resettle Afrikaner refugees. It said Afrikaners, who are descendants of mostly Dutch early settlers, were “victims of unjust racial discrimination”.
South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said in February Trump’s executive order “lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid”.
The order came after Trump had suspended all U.S. refugee admissions, citing security and cost concerns.
Thousands of Afghans, Congolese and others fleeing conflict were blocked after they had been vetted and cleared.
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