Friday, December 19,
2025 - The South African Government has defended its decision to deport
seven Kenyan nationals accused of illegally working on refugee application
processing for the United States, even as President Donald Trump’s
administration warned of severe consequences.
In a statement issued on Thursday, December 18th,
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration insisted that the deportations were
carried out strictly in line with immigration law.
“The recent deportation of seven Kenyan nationals by the
Department of Home Affairs was conducted in strict accordance with South
African immigration law,” the statement read.
It added that the individuals were undertaking work without
valid permits and that the Government would not compromise its sovereignty or
the enforcement of the rule of law.
The response followed a strongly worded statement from
Washington, where the U.S. Department of State denounced what it described as
the detention and harassment of foreign nationals in South Africa.
The U.S. further alleged that South African officials
permitted the public disclosure of passport details belonging to American
personnel, calling the move an unacceptable act of harassment that endangered
its officials.
“The U.S. condemns in the strongest terms the South African Government’s
recent detention of U.S. officials performing their duties to provide
humanitarian support to Afrikaners,” the statement said.
It warned that failure to hold those responsible accountable
would result in “severe consequences,” urging Pretoria to take immediate
action.
The controversy comes just two days after South African
authorities arrested the seven Kenyans, who had reportedly been processing
refugee applications for white South Africans, referred to as Afrikaners,
seeking relocation to the U.S.
The program is said to have been initiated by the Trump
administration, prioritizing white South Africans as refugees based on claims
of racial persecution and “white genocide.”
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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