How did white South Africans become the face of Trump’s refugee policy? | The Global Story

This BBC News video, part of The Global Story, examines why white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, have become the main group admitted under the US refugee programme in the past year. It notes that the US has admitted about 13,000 refugees, far fewer than in previous years, and that nearly all recent arrivals have been white South Africans. The video looks at the Trump administration's stated reason that Afrikaners are fleeing persecution, and at South African officials' view that there is little evidence of attacks specifically targeting white Afrikaners. It also features conversations with Afrikaners who have moved to the US under the new policies.

• The US has admitted about 13,000 refugees in the last year, most of them white South Africans
• The Trump administration says Afrikaners are fleeing persecution in South Africa
• South African officials dispute claims of attacks specifically targeting white Afrikaners
• The video includes interviews with Afrikaners who moved to the US

In the last year, the US has admitted just 13,000 refugees — a fraction of the number it has accepted in previous years. And almost all of those new arrivals have been white South Africans. The Trump administration says Afrikaners are fleeing persecution in South Africa. But there is little evidence of attacks specifically targeting the country’s white Afrikaner minority. South Africa’s new ambassador to the US has told the BBC that the idea of a mass attack against white Afrikaners simply does not exist. So why have Afrikaners been given preferential access to the US refugee programme? And what has life in America been like for those who have made the journey? Today on The Global Story, the BBC’s North America correspondent Ione Wells and Africa producer Ed Habershon share their conversations with the Afrikaners who are using new refugee policies to immigrate to the US — and the South African officials who say the Trump administration is overlooking the full picture. Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news In this video: 0:00 Why are white South Africans getting a fast track to the US? 1:00 Why were there white crosses put up in Washington's National Mall? 4:11 Where does this story begin with the Trump administration? 6:14 The significance of Trumps executive order 7:12 The meeting of Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa 9:08 Violence against white farmers 10:13 How many people have come through the refugee scheme? 11:55 Speaking to a white South African who moved to Texas 16:04 What is the criticism of the white genocide claims in SA? 19:11 The current tensions between the US and South Africa 20:26 Roelf Meyer interview clips 22:26 The Trump administration's expansion of the refugee scheme Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #BBCNews