Afrikaners

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance

Why in news?

Recently United States of America recognised a group of Afrikaners, as the refugees.

• Afrikaners – They are white South African citizens who have descended from predominantly Dutch colonists who had first arrived in the mid-17th century.
• Demography - Afrikaners in South Africa amount to 7% of the country’s population, but own 70% of the country’s land.
• The vast majority of them are farmers and they speak a language called Afrikaans.
• Afrikaners, who had benefited from apartheid policies, lost political control Post-Apartheid South Africa.
• They were subjected to affirmative action programs designed to uplift the historically disadvantaged Black population.
• Some Afrikaners, cited increased violent crime, particularly farm attacks, and racial tensions as reasons to emigrate.
• Land reform in South Africa – In 2025, South African passed Expropriation Act No. 13 of 2024, which aims to address historical land inequalities stemming from the apartheid era.
• It allows the state to seize land without compensation for public purposes in certain circumstances
• Refugee status - The refugee status given through an executive order on February 2025, titled "Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa.

Under U.S. refugee law, a person (or group) can claim refugee status if they face persecution based on race.

• They now have a direct pathway to US citizenship and are eligible for government benefits.
• They will need to find work and "accept entry level employment," with the possibility of advancing to higher-level jobs over time.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR) is yet to recognize Afrikaners as a refugee because it recognizes one as a refugee based on widespread, state-sanctioned or tolerated harm, not based on  isolated incidents or policy grievances.

Reference

The Indian Express| Afrikaners