The #Trump admin is working to bring the first group of #white #SouthAfricans it has classified as *#refugees* to the #UnitedStates early next week, acc/to ofcls briefed on the plans & documents obtained by NYT.
Although Trump halted virtually all other #refugee admissions shortly after he took office in Jan, his admin hastily put together a program to allow in white South Africans, who he claims have been the victims of racial persecution in their country.
The #Trump admin plans to send government officials to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia for an event marking the arrival of the #SouthAfricans, who belong to the #white minority #Afrikaner ethnic group, acc/to the memo from #HHS. The admin initially planned to welcome the #Afrikaners on Monday, but some officials familiar w/the matter cautioned that the plans remained in flux, subject to flight logistics & processing of the group.
The arrival of the #Afrikaners would cement #Trump’s efforts to upend a program that for decades has allowed thousands of people fleeing #war, #famine & #NaturalDisaster to find safe haven in the #UnitedStates.
While the program remains suspended for #refugees across the world, such as #Congolese families in #refugee camps & #Rohingya seeking safety, #white #SouthAfricans were processed much faster than is normal for these cases.
#Refugees can often wait years in camps around the world before they are processed & approved to travel to the #UnitedStates. Before the first #Trump admin, #refugee resettlement took an average of 18 to 24 months, acc/to the American #Immigration Council, an advocacy group for immigrants. Many refugees must wait years longer.
The #white #Afrikaners, however, had to wait no more than 3 months.
