Divided Opinions Among White South Africans on US Refugee Opportunities

Mon Dec 08 2025 13:29:45 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

White South Africans express varied views on seeking refuge in the US amidst safety concerns, revealing a complex landscape of fear, victimization, and disagreement.

In light of escalating crime and safety fears, some white South African farmers are seeking refugee status in the US. Marthinus, a farmer, voices his concerns about safety, linking his decision to apply for asylum to a long-standing history of violence against Afrikaners. However, opinions vary widely among South Africans, with some rejecting claims of targeted persecution while acknowledging the broader issue of crime affecting all farmers, regardless of race.

The 4m-high (13ft) electric steel gates, capped with spikes, creak open as Marthinus, a farmer, drives through in his pick-up truck. Cameras positioned at the entrance track his every move, while reams of barbed wire surround the farm in the rural Free State province in the heart of South Africa.

It feels like a prison, he says as the gates clank shut behind him. If they want to come and kill us they can. At least it will take them time to get to me. The fear of being attacked is very real for the white Afrikaner, who manages a farm with his wife and two young daughters. He did not want us to use his full name.

His grandfather and his wife's grandfather were both murdered in farm attacks, and he lives a two-hour drive from where the body of 21-year-old farm manager Brendan Horner was discovered five years ago, tied to a pole, with a rope around his neck.

Marthinus says he can't take a chance with his family, and in February, they applied for refugee status in the US. I'm prepared to do that to get a better life for my wife and children. Because I don't want to be slaughtered and be hanged on a pole, he says. Our Afrikaner people are an endangered species.

But not all white South Africans agree that they are being targeted, and black farmers are also victims of the country's high crime rate. It's estimated that thousands of Afrikaners—who are mostly white descendants of early European settlers—have begun the lengthy process of applying for refugee status in the US since President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year. Despite announcing in October that the US would reduce its yearly intake of refugees from 125,000 to 7,500, Trump has made the resettlement of Afrikaners a priority, encouraging many to seek asylum.

South Africa's violent crime, with an average of 63 murders a day, casts a shadow over everyday life for many citizens, pushing farmers of all backgrounds to question their safety and security in the country. Black farmers like Thabo Makopo share similar fears of violent attacks but emphasize that the issue transcends race. He believes that all farmers in the province, regardless of color, are at risk.

The debate continues as opinions are polarized within the farming community on the perceived threats and the actions proposed to ensure safety. While some point to rising fears of persecution, others argue that crime affects everyone and that narratives of racial targeting are misleading. The complexity of the situation illustrates the ongoing struggles within South Africa regarding race, safety, and political narratives.