South Africa Arrests Workers Processing U.S. Refugee Applications

Seven Kenyans were detained for working in the country illegally, officials said. The arrests came amid rising tensions after the United States prioritized white Afrikaners seeking asylum.South Africans rallying in support of President Trump outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, in February.Credit...Joao Silva/The New York TimesDec. 17, 2025, 8:30 a.m. ETThe authorities in South Africa said on Wednesday that they had arrested and would deport seven Kenyan nationals who were working illegally at a center processing refugee applications for the United States.President Trump has drastically cut the number of refugees that the United States will accept but has prioritized white Afrikaners, the descendants of Dutch, German and French settlers to South Africa, after falsely claiming that they were victims of a genocide.South African law enforcement officials on Tuesday arrested the Kenyans in an operation at a processing center in Johannesburg, the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement. It said that they had entered South Africa on tourist visas and were working illegally “at a center processing the applications of so-called ‘refugees’ to the United States.” The seven Kenyans will not be allowed to return to South Africa for five years.The Department of Home Affairs added that their applications to work in South Africa had previously been rejected and that no American officials had been detained.The arrests come as relations between South Africa and the Trump administration have plunged over its policy of prioritizing Afrikaners. Mr. Trump has used his claim that they are facing racial persecution to punish South Africa, imposing high tariffs, cutting aid and making Afrikaners one of the only groups allowed to seek refugee status in the United States.In November, the president refused to attend the Group of 20 summit in South Africa because of the Afrikaner issue, and he has said the country will not be welcome when the United States hosts the event next year.“We are seeking immediate clarification from the South African government and expect full cooperation and accountability,” Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said in a statement.“Interfering in our refugee operations is unacceptable,” he added.South African authorities said they arrested the Kenyans as part of its efforts to curb illegal immigration. Over the past year, the government has increased a crackdown on undocumented migrants, and politicians from across the spectrum have zeroed in on immigration to appeal to voters.The Department of Home Affairs said the raid showed South Africa’s shared commitment with the United States in “combating illegal immigration and visa abuse in all its forms.”“The presence of foreign officials apparently coordinating with undocumented workers naturally raises serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol,” it added.Zimasa Matiwane and Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.Lynsey Chutel is a Times reporter based in London who covers breaking news in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.SKIP Site IndexNewsHome PageU.S.WorldPoliticsNew YorkEducationSportsBusinessTechScienceWeatherThe Great ReadObituariesHeadwayVisual InvestigationsThe MagazineArtsBook ReviewBest Sellers Book ListDanceMoviesMusicPop CultureTelevisionTheaterVisual ArtsLifestyleHealthWellFoodRestaurant ReviewsLoveTravelStyleFashionReal EstateT MagazineOpinionToday's OpinionColumnistsEditorialsGuest EssaysOp-DocsLettersSunday OpinionOpinion VideoOpinion AudioMoreAudioGamesCookingWirecutterThe AthleticJobsVideoGraphicsTrendingLive EventsCorrectionsReader CenterTimesMachineThe Learning NetworkSchool of The NYTinEducationAccountSubscribeManage My AccountHome DeliveryGift SubscriptionsGroup SubscriptionsGift ArticlesEmail NewslettersNYT LicensingReplica EditionTimes Store