Some White South Africans Are Reportedly Leaving U.S. to Return Home Amid Safety Concerns: 'I Don't Want to Live in a Place Like This'

Some white South Africans living in the United States are reportedly planning to return to their home country, citing safety concerns, cost of living and family ties, according to a new report.

The development comes as diplomatic tensions grow between Washington and Pretoria and as the Trump administration promotes a refugee program for white South Africans.

The issue has also become part of a broader diplomatic dispute as South Africa summoned the U.S. ambassador on Wednesday after he criticized the country's policies, including affirmative action laws and foreign relations.

The confrontation follows repeated claims by President Donald Trump that white South Africans face persecution — allegations the South African government says are not supported by evidence.

Against that backdrop, some expatriates say they feel uneasy in the United States itself. Andrew Veitch, a 53-year-old who moved to California in 2003 after being held at gunpoint in South Africa, told Reuters that he now feels less secure in the U.S.

"People are being shot in broad daylight. American citizens are being shot and killed," he said, adding that "he doesn't want to live in a place like this." Veitch said he plans to return to South Africa this year, joining a number of expatriates making similar decisions.

South Africa's government says thousands of expatriates have expressed interest in reclaiming citizenship after a court overturned a 1995 law that stripped citizenship from some citizens who acquired other nationalities. About 12,000 people have checked their status through a government portal, and roughly 1,000 have already reclaimed citizenship, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber told Reuters.

Official statistics show that nearly 15,000 white South Africans returned to the country in 2022. Recruitment firms cited by Reuters say inquiries from expatriates about returning have increased, with one agency reporting a 70% rise over the past six months.

Some returnees say the move is motivated by lifestyle factors rather than security. Naomi Saphire, who lived in the United States for two decades, moved back to South Africa's Western Cape last year. "My heart is just full of gratefulness to be here," she said, adding that her children spend more time outdoors and that health insurance is more affordable, according to Reuters.