In brief
A group of Afrikaner activists erected thousands of white crosses on Washington’s National Mall to protest what they call a white genocide in South Africa. South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. denies any mass attack on the white minority. Yet the Trump administration plans to admit up to 17,500 white Afrikaners as refugees over the next year. BBC correspondent Ione Wells explains how U.S. policy and the legacy of apartheid have woven the controversy into a broader political narrative.
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.
