White South African defends refugee status in US | BBC News

Afrikaner Charl Kleinhaus is among the group of nearly 60 white South Africans who have moved to the US under President Donald Trump’s controversial policy to grant refugee status to Afrikaners.

The 46-year-old left his family farm in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, for a new life in the US - saying he quit his homeland after receiving death threats in WhatsApp messages.

The status of white South African farmers has long been a rallying cry on the right and far-right of American politics, who claim there has been a "genocide" of white farmers in the country.

None of South Africa's political parties - including those that represent Afrikaners and the white community in general - have claimed that there is a genocide in South Africa.

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Post from BBC News on May 16, 2025