Majority of Americans Reject Fast-Tracking Afrikaness as Refugees Into the U.S.: Poll

A new poll finds that most Americans oppose prioritizing white South African refugees—known as Afrikaners—over others, even as the U.S. government recently admitted a small group under that rationale.

The survey, conducted by Yahoo News/YouGov, revealed that 61% support accepting refugees in general, yet only 36% favored accepting Afrikaners, with 31% opposed and 32% unsure. When respondents were told Afrikaners were being fast-tracked while the broader refugee program remains suspended, disapproval rose: 52% opposed this prioritization, 22% supported it, and 26% were unsure.

The poll also asked whether Afrikaners deserve refugee status more than other groups. A plurality (47%) said they are equally deserving; 24% said less deserving, and 10% said more. When asked whether Afrikaners are victims of "white genocide," a claim promoted by some U.S. and South African conservatives, 40% of respondents said no, 26% said yes, and 34% were unsure.

These results follow the Trump administration's decision to admit 59 Afrikaners into the United States in early May. The group, including families with young children, arrived at an airport outside Washington, D.C., and were welcomed by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. "You are really welcome here and we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years," Landau said.

President Trump has argued that white South Africans face targeted violence. "A genocide is taking place," he told reporters before meeting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 21.

Ramaphosa strongly rejected this narrative, saying Trump had been misinformed. "What you are being told by those people who are opposed to transformation back in South Africa is not true," he said at a business event in Ivory Coast. South African officials and independent researchers, including the Institute for Security Studies, have stated there is no evidence of ethnically targeted violence or genocide against white South Africans.

Critics in the U.S. question the administration's refugee priorities. "The Administration must clarify why these individuals qualify for refugee status and why they have been prioritized over refugees like Afghans, Burmese Rohingya, and Sudanese," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to The Associated Press last month.