Plans by some Afrikaner refugee families to return to South Africa have sparked a fierce backlash in the United States. According to The South African, anger flared after reports emerged that at least two families wanted to leave the US and come back home because life abroad had become “too difficult”. One of those families reportedly included nine people.

The reaction has been especially sharp because the refugee programme was created to help South Africans who claimed they were facing racial persecution. The South African reported that almost 5,000 South Africans, most of them white Afrikaners, have already been resettled in the US under the programme. The publication says the initiative was commissioned by President Donald Trump through an executive order in February 2025.

Critics say return plans undermine refugee claims

The latest criticism was amplified by US commentator Chris Wyatt, who said on YouTube that he had come across reports of “misbehaving” South African refugees who wanted to return home. He accused those families of abusing the US Refugee Admissions Programme and said their decision to go back raised doubts about whether they were ever in danger in South Africa. Those remarks were quoted by The South African.

The publication also reported that many Americans echoed that frustration in the comments section, arguing that people who voluntarily want to return weaken the credibility of the refugee process. The row has now turned a migration story into a political flashpoint on both sides of the Atlantic.

Programme dominated by South Africans

Government data cited by The South African says 99.9% of refugees accepted into the US in the last fiscal year from October 2025 were from South Africa. Only three accepted refugees were not South African, according to the report. The same article says that although the programme is open to racial minorities more broadly, it has mainly been used by white Afrikaners.

USCIS says a refugee is someone outside the United States who shows past persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on protected grounds. USCIS also says refugees generally need to obtain a refugee travel document before leaving the US temporarily.

Returning home could carry consequences

The South African reported that refugees who want to return to South Africa may have to repay travel loans and other start-up costs provided by US authorities. It also said temporary travel back home without the right documentation could affect re-entry and refugee status, while permanent return remains possible through voluntary repatriation.

The South African government, according to the same report, would welcome returning refugees back as citizens, although they would first need to revoke their refugee status. For now, the controversy is exposing just how politically charged the Afrikaner refugee programme has become.