A group of Afrikaner activists recently erected thousands of white crosses on the National Mall in Washington, DC, claiming they represent victims of a so‑called “white genocide” in South Africa.
South Africa’s new ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has said there is no evidence of a mass campaign targeting the white minority in the country.
Strikingly, the Trump administration has issued a brief to Congress indicating a willingness to approve up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaner refugees over the next year.
BBC North America correspondent Ione Wells explores how U.S. policy and international politics have become entwined with the claim, highlighting the mix of political rhetoric, immigration law and the legacy of apartheid in shaping the debate.
