Roelf Meyer’s big plan to get Donald Trump’s Afrikaner ‘refugee’ order scrapped

South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has outlined his plan to get President Donald Trump to revoke the controversial Afrikaner “refugee” executive order.

Meyer acknowledged the diplomatic difficulty of his mission, as thousands of white South Africans continue to relocate to the US under the contentious programme initiated in February 2025.

In an interview, Meyer confirmed his intention to overturn Executive Order 14204, which established an exclusive resettlement pathway for Afrikaners affected by alleged discrimination. The R1.65 billion programme has severely strained bilateral ties, leaving Meyer with the daunting portfolio of repairing relations following the expulsion of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool in 2025.

Roelf Meyer plan faces White House hurdles

Speaking on his strategy, Meyer admitted that challenging the US administration’s entrenched policy will be a formidable task.

“The executive order issued by President Donald Trump in February 2025 still stands, and we have to find a way to get around it or at least try to get it revoked,” Meyer said. “This is not going to be easy because it is President Trump and the White House behind it. It’s going to be tough. I have no doubt about that”.

The ambassador highlighted that the unpredictability surrounding Trump makes the matter considerably more complicated to handle.

“The executive order in the first instance was totally unexpected. It is going to be tough, and I am being very honest with myself about that,” he added.

Meyer’s plan aligns with mounting domestic pushback within the US.

US Senator Jeanne Shaheen has sharply criticised the initiative, questioning the prioritisation of Afrikaners over genuinely at-risk Afghan allies and noting the UN Refugee Agency has never designated Afrikaners as a group warranting refugee status.

Additionally, the South African government maintains that violent crime affects citizens of all races, countering the white genocide narrative as a dangerous campaign of misinformation.

Mixed realities for Afrikaner ‘refugees’ in the US

Despite Pretoria’s objections, the US administration recently expanded the admission cap from 7,500 to 17,500 to clear a bottleneck of pending files. Since October 2025, over 6,000 South Africans have resettled in America, with Texas, Florida, and California emerging as the most popular destinations.

The resettlement process remains highly contentious and unpredictable. While some applicants, like Freedom Front Plus member SJ du Venage, await processing from affluent coastal towns despite admitting to facing no direct persecution, others face harsh realities abroad.

Hundreds of hopefuls, many of whom had already resigned from their jobs and sold their possessions, were left stranded after receiving unexpected rejection letters dated 30 June.

Those successfully admitted receive welcome bags containing Trump’s 1776 Commission report and right-wing children’s books downplaying slavery and criticising post-apartheid race relations.

Furthermore, stringent driving requirements in states like Ohio have depleted the limited federal housing grants of some arrivals, forcing them to relocate again, while others find themselves stuck in Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities earning just R33 a day for cleaning duties.

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