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Olivia of Troye: White South Africans: Refugees of Convenience
Olivia of Troye - White South Africans: Refugees of Convenience
I worked on refugee policy under Trump. Now, even the lies aren't subtle.
Olivia of Troye
May 13, 2025
During the first Trump administration, I worked on the refugee portfolio. I also covered Africa as Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence. I met with the NGOs, the faith groups, and the resettlement agencies doing the work on the ground. I fought alongside them, sometimes quietly, sometimes not, against Stephen Miller's full-blown war on refugees. I watched as good people inside the government tried to hold the line, knowing full well we were up against one of the most vicious and ideological assaults on humanitarian policy in U.S. history. That was the first time, back when they still pretended it wasn't all about race.
What is happening right now with the expedited refugee admission of white South Africans is a betrayal of the entire international refugee system. It is a clear, racist signal to the far-right, here and abroad, that this second Trump term will bend U.S. policy to fit their conspiracies and white grievance narratives.
In February, Trump signed an executive order fast-tracking refugee status for white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, citing "egregious actions" by South Africa's government, a constitutional democracy still reckoning with apartheid's legacy. The order came without credible evidence of persecution. It echoed the "white genocide" conspiracy theory that Trump embraced during his first term after Tucker Carlson amplified it. I know this firsthand. I was in the room, briefing then Vice President Pence with facts to counter the hysteria.
Yesterday, 59 Afrikaner "refugees" arrived in the United States.
Let's pause there. During Trump's first term, one of Stephen Miller's earliest actions was attempting to halt all refugee admissions. While unsuccessful initially, the refugee ceiling was slashed to historic lows—from 18,000 to eventually 12,000—numbers we never even reached as the system collapsed under deliberate sabotage. Genuine refugees were abandoned, allies stranded, and faith-based resettlement partners left unable to operate.
/snip
I worked on refugee policy under Trump. Now, even the lies aren't subtle.
Olivia of Troye
May 13, 2025
During the first Trump administration, I worked on the refugee portfolio. I also covered Africa as Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence. I met with the NGOs, the faith groups, and the resettlement agencies doing the work on the ground. I fought alongside them, sometimes quietly, sometimes not, against Stephen Miller's full-blown war on refugees. I watched as good people inside the government tried to hold the line, knowing full well we were up against one of the most vicious and ideological assaults on humanitarian policy in U.S. history. That was the first time, back when they still pretended it wasn't all about race.
What is happening right now with the expedited refugee admission of white South Africans is a betrayal of the entire international refugee system. It is a clear, racist signal to the far-right, here and abroad, that this second Trump term will bend U.S. policy to fit their conspiracies and white grievance narratives.
In February, Trump signed an executive order fast-tracking refugee status for white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, citing "egregious actions" by South Africa's government, a constitutional democracy still reckoning with apartheid's legacy. The order came without credible evidence of persecution. It echoed the "white genocide" conspiracy theory that Trump embraced during his first term after Tucker Carlson amplified it. I know this firsthand. I was in the room, briefing then Vice President Pence with facts to counter the hysteria.
Yesterday, 59 Afrikaner "refugees" arrived in the United States.
Let's pause there. During Trump's first term, one of Stephen Miller's earliest actions was attempting to halt all refugee admissions. While unsuccessful initially, the refugee ceiling was slashed to historic lows—from 18,000 to eventually 12,000—numbers we never even reached as the system collapsed under deliberate sabotage. Genuine refugees were abandoned, allies stranded, and faith-based resettlement partners left unable to operate.
/snip