Latest news with #RefugeeAdmissionProgramme
The South African
2 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
US department official says refugee programme is for 'white people'
A US Department of State official has reportedly confirmed that the refugee programme offered to South Africans was intended for white people, particularly Afrikaners. In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting minorities resettlement under the programme on the grounds of 'racial discrimination'. Since then, two groups of Afrikaner people have arrived in the US, with more expected to follow. According to Reuters , the US Department of State's Spencer Chretien, the highest-ranking official in the refugee and migration bureau, stated that the refugee programme was 'intended for white people'. Chretien had declined to comment further. This throws into disrepute the Refugee Admission Programme's claim that it is open to all 'minorities'. Despite initially being targeted at Afrikaner farmers and white people, US authorities have since included coloured, Indian, and 'mixed-race' South Africans. Applicants must prove that they are 'persecuted' South Africans who are victims of 'racial discrimination'. The US Embassy has updated its refugee status programme application, with an announcement that communication will be coordinated by RSC Africa, which manages all US-bound applicants from Africa. This will include: Conducting intake and referral interviews Collecting applicants' data and documentation Requesting background checks Scheduling USCIS interviews Arranging for medical exams Booking travel to the United States Ultimately, the application will be reviewed and determined by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The embassy has also detailed that the refugee status application would include several stages, as outlined in the diagram below. Image via US Embassy Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
South China Morning Post
27-01-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Refugees in Hong Kong face ‘worst-case scenario' after US, Canada policy shift
Refugees living in Hong Kong are facing a 'worst-case scenario' after US President Donald Trump paused the country's resettlement programme, just two months after Canada tightened its own rules, an advocate for asylum seekers' rights has said. Amid a slew of executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office last week was a 90-day pause on the country's Refugee Admission Programme that took effect on Monday. The news sent shock waves through the city's refugee community, many of whom had been waiting for more than 10 years to finally be resettled in other countries. Hong Kong does not grant asylum, but ensures individuals are not sent back to their home countries if they seek help for being in danger until their claims are substantiated. Jeffrey Andrews, a senior social worker with the Christian Action Centre for Refugees, said that as soon as the order was announced his team began seeing clients come in panicked and distressed, some of whom were meant to fly out as early as this week. The community had already been facing uncertainties after Canada tightened its rules for its private sponsorship of refugees programme last November, Andrews said. Social worker Jeffrey Andrews has called conditions for refugees in Hong Kong dire. Refugees in the city have to be resettled elsewhere. Photo: Xiaomei Chen The move paused all sponsorship applications for groups of five or more people until the end of the year, with Canadian authorities citing a backlog of cases.
