White South Africans have been granted refugee status under a program initiated by former US President Donald Trump. They were seen boarding a plane at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday, preparing for a charter flight to Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC, and then on to Texas.

Collen Msibi, a transport department spokesperson, stated that 49 passengers had been vetted to ensure no pending criminal issues existed. Journalists were not allowed access to those traveling to the US.

Trump's offer of asylum to white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, has stirred controversy in both the US and South Africa. In the US, it contrasts with the administration's broader restrictions on refugee admissions from predominantly non-white countries. In South Africa, it coincides with heightened racial tensions over land and jobs, a persistent issue since the end of white minority rule.

Despite an overall freeze on refugees, Trump advocated prioritizing the resettlement of Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers, citing their status as "victims of unjust racial discrimination."

The South African authorities have responded to the granting of refugee status with alarm and criticism, asserting that the Trump administration is interfering in a domestic political matter it misunderstands.

Three decades after Nelson Mandela ushered in democracy, the white minority in South Africa retains a significant portion of the wealth accumulated under colonialism and apartheid. They own a majority of private land and hold substantially more wealth than the black majority. White South Africans also experience the lowest rates of joblessness.

The claim of discrimination against white South Africans has gained traction online and has been echoed by figures like Elon Musk. Pretoria has expressed concerns over the US's actions in processing these refugees, maintaining that the allegations are not accurate.