The South African government has criticized the US decision to prioritize refugee applications from white Afrikaners, stating that claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. The US administration announced its lowest refugee annual cap on record, set at 7,500, with the exact figures of the number of white South Africans admitted through the US scheme not available.
According to South African officials, the limited number of white South African Afrikaners signing up to relocate to the US indicates that they are not being persecuted. The government highlighted an open letter published by prominent members of the Afrikaner community earlier this week, rejecting the narrative of a white genocide. Some signatories to the letter called the relocation scheme racist, further fueling the controversy.
South Africa's latest crime statistics do not indicate that more white people have fallen victim to violent crime than other racial groups. The government emphasized that the US decision to prioritize white Afrikaner refugees is not based on factual evidence, but rather on a narrative that has been widely discredited.
In a statement, a South African government spokesperson said, "We are concerned that the US decision to prioritize white Afrikaner refugees is based on a narrative that lacks reliable evidence. We urge the US to reconsider its decision and prioritize refugees based on genuine humanitarian needs."
The US administration's decision to prioritize white Afrikaner refugees has been met with criticism from various quarters. Some have argued that the decision is a form of "white privilege," where white Afrikaners are given preferential treatment over other refugees.
The US decision to set its lowest refugee annual cap on record has also been criticized by human rights groups, who argue that it is a betrayal of the country's humanitarian obligations. The cap of 7,500 is significantly lower than the 18,000 refugees admitted in 2017.
The controversy surrounding the US decision to prioritize white Afrikaner refugees is likely to continue, with both sides presenting their arguments. The South African government has vowed to continue to express its concerns to the US administration, while the US has maintained that its decision is based on a genuine humanitarian need to provide refuge to those fleeing persecution.
In the meantime, the exact figures of the number of white South Africans admitted through the US scheme remain unclear, and the controversy surrounding the US decision to prioritize white Afrikaner refugees is likely to continue.
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