It is the latest action by the Trump administration to target the South African government for allegations that it is mistreating White South Africans.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Picture: X/@Nabeelfish
The United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced new visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals accused of involvement in race‑based discrimination and uncompensated land seizures in South Africa.
The policy, unveiled by Rubio, marks Washington’s sharpest rebuke yet of Pretoria’s handling of minority rights.
Targeting SA
It is the latest action by the Trump administration to target the South African government for allegations that it is mistreating White South Africans, which the government has denied.
At the same time, the US has prioritised the admission of White South Africans to the US as refugees.
In a statement, Rubio said the restrictions were necessary to uphold democratic values and protect stability.
“The United States remains gravely concerned about racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination occurring against the Afrikaners and other minority populations in South Africa, including race-based discriminatory legislation, threats of land expropriation without compensation, and incitement of racial violence through dehumanising chants and slogans.”
Afrikaner refugees
Weeks into his second term, US President Donald Trump announced that nearly all refugees admitted to the United States would be White South Africans, radically reshaping a decades‑long program that had largely served people fleeing war, persecution, or other dangers.
By late June, more than 7 700 Afrikaners had been admitted, while refugee pathways for other nationalities were largely shuttered.
Trump
Trump defended the shift in stark terms.
“We treat people very well where we see a genocide going on. Farmers in South Africa are being treated brutally, and we will not stand by.”
The announcement marks a dramatic departure from the traditional scope of US refugee admissions, concentrating almost exclusively on South African applicants while limiting access for other groups worldwide.
Visa restrictions
Afrikaners now account for 99% of refugee admissions since October 2025, highlighting the programme’s sharp focus compared with restrictions on other nationalities.
“The South African government has not adequately addressed the previously laid out concerns and so today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act targeting foreign nationals who are responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation of laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination, and/or the incitement of imminent violence against members of minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa,” Rubio said.
“The United States will not allow such behaviour to go unchecked. These actions directly undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law, and they are incompatible with the pillars of America’s foreign policy.
“We once again strongly urge the South African government to quickly address these egregious actions,” Rubio said.
Claims rejected
The measures, implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, will bar entry to individuals deemed responsible for discriminatory laws, uncompensated land seizures, or incitement of racial violence. Family members may also be affected.
Pretoria has previously rejected claims of systemic discrimination, with President Cyril Ramaphosa insisting there is “no evidence of persecution against white people” and warning that narratives of white victimhood threaten post‑apartheid unity.
The announcement is likely to deepen diplomatic strain between Washington and Pretoria, already at odds over land reform and South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
Ambushing Ramaphosa
Trump has singled out South Africa for harsh treatment on several issues since he returned to the White House in January, notably making debunked claims of white Afrikaners being systematically “killed and slaughtered” in the country.
He ambushed Ramaphosa in the Oval Office earlier last year, playing a video in which he alleged a campaign against white farmers by the post-apartheid government.
In October, South Africa criticised the decision by the US to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide had been widely discredited and lacked reliable evidence.
