The arrival of 59 white South African asylum-seekers in the United States has sparked a new wave of international debate over land reform, racial tensions, and migration policy. US President Donald Trump’s characterization of the situation in South Africa as “genocide” has reignited a polarizing conversation that straddles the line between humanitarian concern and political opportunism.

On May 12, the first group of South Africans-predominantly Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers-landed in the US, welcomed at a private airport hangar near Washington DC. They were greeted by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who addressed the group with assurances of support and empathy.

“I want you all to know that you are really welcome here and that we respect what you have had to deal with these last few years,” said Landau. He referenced threats of home invasions and alleged government inaction in South Africa. “Many of these folks have experience with threatening invasions of their homes, their farms, and a real lack of interest or success of the government in doing anything about this situation.”

The asylum comes on the heels of Trump’s renewed claim that white South Africans, especially farmers, are victims of systematic violence and state-sanctioned land seizures. “Because they’re being killed, and we don’t want to see people be killed,” Trump stated. “It’s a genocide that’s taking place that you people don’t want to write about, but it’s a terrible thing that’s taking place.”

Trump’s claim echoes long-standing right-wing narratives that portray white........

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