US Announces New Visa Restrictions Targeting South Africans Over Race-Based Policies
The United States has introduced new visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals it says are responsible for, or complicit in, policies involving race-based discrimination, uncompensated land seizures and the incitement of violence in South Africa.
According to The Citizen, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, adding another point of tension between Washington and Pretoria.
Also Read: South Africa Slams US State Department Over “Deeply Flawed” Human Rights Report
Who The New Restrictions Target
The policy is aimed at foreign nationals linked to the enactment or implementation of laws or policies that Washington says enable uncompensated land seizures, racial discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa.
Rubio said the South African government had not adequately addressed concerns previously raised by the US.
“The South African government has not adequately addressed the previously laid out concerns and so today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act targeting foreign nationals who are responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation of laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination, and/or the incitement of imminent violence against members of minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa,” Rubio said.
The restrictions can also affect family members of individuals covered by the policy.
Rubio Raises Afrikaner Concerns
In announcing the measures, Rubio said Washington remained concerned about what it described as racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination affecting Afrikaners and other minority groups.
“The United States remains gravely concerned about racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination occurring against the Afrikaners and other minority populations in South Africa, including race-based discriminatory legislation, threats of land expropriation without compensation, and incitement of racial violence through dehumanising chants and slogans.”
Rubio said the US would not allow conduct it considers inconsistent with peace, economic stability and the rule of law to go unchecked.
“We once again strongly urge the South African government to quickly address these egregious actions,” he said.
US Refugee Policy Has Also Shifted
The latest visa restrictions come amid a broader change in the Trump administration’s policy towards South Africa.
The administration has prioritised the resettlement of Afrikaners in the US, with the State Department previously saying the policy was focused on South Africans it considered to be escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination.
By June, more than 7 700 Afrikaners had reportedly been admitted to the US under the programme. The administration had also proposed increasing the 2026 refugee allocation for Afrikaners to 17 500.
President Donald Trump has defended the policy by pointing to alleged mistreatment of South African farmers.
“We treat people very well where we see a genocide going on. Farmers in South Africa are being treated brutally, and we will not stand by.”
Pretoria Has Rejected Persecution Claims
The South African government has rejected Washington’s characterisation of conditions facing white South Africans.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously said there is no evidence of persecution of white people in South Africa, while the government has maintained that land reform and other policies should not be interpreted as evidence of a campaign against a racial group.
Pretoria has also criticised Washington’s decision to prioritise Afrikaner refugee applications, arguing that claims of a white genocide in South Africa have been discredited and that violent crime affects communities across the country.
Diplomatic Tensions Continue
The new restrictions add to a series of disputes between the two governments, including disagreements over South Africa’s land policies, race-based legislation and its approach to international affairs.
The US announcement is therefore likely to become another issue in already strained relations between Washington and Pretoria, while South Africa continues to maintain that its domestic policies are aimed at addressing the country’s historical inequalities rather than targeting white South Africans.
The post US Announces New Visa Restrictions Targeting South Africans Over Race-Based Policies appeared first on iHarare News.
