South African authorities have arrested seven Kenyan nationals and are preparing to deport them after accusing them of working without valid permits on a United States government programme that grants refugee status to white Afrikaners.
The South African Department of Home Affairs confirmed the arrests on Wednesday, stating that the individuals were found to be working illegally at a centre involved in processing resettlement applications to the United States.
The arrests come amid ongoing controversy over a policy announced in May by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which offered refugee status to members of the white Afrikaner minority. The policy was defended on claims that Afrikaners face discrimination and even “genocide”, allegations the South African government has repeatedly dismissed.
Authorities said the United States had engaged Kenyan nationals connected to a Christian non governmental organisation based in Kenya, who travelled to South Africa to assist with processing applications under the programme. During a raid on an application processing centre in Johannesburg on Tuesday, officials reported that “seven Kenyan nationals were found engaging in work while holding only tourist visas, in clear violation of their conditions of entry”.
The Department of Home Affairs added that the individuals were arrested, issued deportation orders, and will be barred from re entering South Africa for a period of five years.
The department said the operation followed intelligence reports that several Kenyan nationals had entered the country on tourist visas and unlawfully taken up employment at a facility handling applications for what it described as so called refugees to the United States.
Although President Trump largely suspended refugee admissions after taking office in January, his administration made an exception for Afrikaners, a move Pretoria says is based on false claims of persecution.
In May, an initial group of about 50 Afrikaners, descendants of early European settlers in South Africa, were flown to the United States on a chartered aircraft, with additional groups reportedly travelling in smaller numbers on commercial flights.
South African authorities said no United States officials were arrested during the raid and emphasised that the operation did not take place at a diplomatic site. They also confirmed that no prospective refugees were harassed and that the government had engaged both US and Kenyan officials on the issue.
Relations between Washington and Pretoria have worsened since President Trump returned to office, with the United States criticising South Africa over several policy issues, expelling its ambassador in March and imposing 30 percent trade tariffs.
Responding to reports of the raid, US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said any interference with American refugee operations was “unacceptable”, adding that Washington was “seeking immediate clarification from the South African government and expects full cooperation and accountability”.
