JOHANNESBURG - Nearly 5,000 white Afrikaners have entered the United States under a programme launched by President Donald Trump nearly a year ago based on unfounded claims that the South African minority faces persecution, a document seen by AFP on April 8 showed.

The Trump administration has essentially ended refugee admissions as part of a crackdown on immigration but made an exception for South Africa’s white Afrikaans community, descendants of the first European settlers.

All of 4,499 people listed as resettled across 48 US states between Oct 1, 2025, and March  31 this year were South Africans except for three Afghans, according to the document from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population.

Another 340 South Africans were admitted in the previous financial year, after Mr Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.

February and March this year saw the most arrivals, with more than 1,300 people resettled each month.

Mr Trump’s administration in May 2025 made the offer of refugee status to the minority white Afrikaner community claiming they were