A second group of white South Africans has arrived in the United States under a refugee resettlement program launched during former President Donald Trump’s administration, US officials and advocacy groups confirmed Monday.

According to Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison for the Solidarity Movement, an organisation representing South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority, nine individuals, including families, landed last week in Atlanta via a commercial flight.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in South Africa confirmed the arrival, noting that “refugees continue to arrive in the United States from South Africa on commercial flights as part of the Afrikaner resettlement program’s ongoing operations.”

This follows the arrival of an initial group of 59 white South Africans at Dulles International Airport in Virginia last month, who came on a chartered flight.

An initial group of 59 white South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on a chartered flight last month under the new program announced by US President Donald Trump in February. The Trump administration fast-tracked the resettlement of white South Africans after indefinitely suspending other US refugee programs.

The South African government has strongly rejected these claims, calling them inaccurate and a distortion of the country’s situation.

With his administration arguing that white South Africans face persecution and racially motivated violence under the country’s Black-led government.

Observers have not substantiated claims of widespread, state-sanctioned persecution of white South Africans.

South Africa’s Afrikaner minority, who are descendants of mainly Dutch and French colonial settlers. In new guidance published by the US Embassy last month, applicants must be “a member of a racial minority” in South Africa and “must be able to articulate a past experience of persecution or fear of future persecution.”

The program has drawn criticism from various quarters for prioritizing one racial group under the refugee system, raising concerns about bias in US immigration policy.

There are approximately 2.7 million Afrikaners among South Africa’s population of 62 million, which is more than 80% Black. They are not the only white minority. There are around 4.5 million whites in total, including those with British or other heritage.

The US Embassy spokesperson said the US “continues to review inquiries from individuals who have expressed interest to the embassy in resettling to the United States and is reaching out to eligible individuals for refugee interviews and processing.”

While US officials have not said how many South Africans have applied to be relocated, Kleynhans said there have been around 8,000 applications. Another group helping white South Africans apply for refugee status has said tens of thousands have applied. (AriseNews TV)