'I didn't come here for fun' - Afrikaner defends refugee status in US

Last week, 46-year-old Charl Kleinhaus was surviving connected his household workplace successful Mpumalanga province, South Africa. With its scenic beauty, wildlife and heavy canyons, it's known arsenic "the spot wherever the prima rises".

His caller location - for present - is simply a fund edifice adjacent an American highway.

He and dozens of different achromatic South Africans were moved to the US nether President Donald Trump's arguable argumentation to support them from the favoritism helium alleges they are facing - an accusation that South Africa rejects.

Mr Kleinhaus defends the US president, telling the BBC helium near his homeland aft receiving decease threats successful WhatsApp messages.

"I had to permission a five-bedroom house, which I volition suffer now," Mr Kleinhaus tells the BBC, adding that helium besides near down his car, his dogs and adjacent his mother. "I didn't travel present for fun," helium adds.

The opposition successful homes couldn't beryllium much stark. But for Mr Kleinhaus, his concern successful Buffalo, New York, is already a amended one. "My children are safe," says Mr Kleinhaus, whose woman died successful a roadworthy mishap successful 2006.

The presumption of achromatic South African farmers has agelong been a rallying outcry connected the close and far-right of American politics.

Trump and his adjacent ally, South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk, person adjacent argued that determination has been a "genocide" of achromatic farmers successful South Africa - a assertion that has been wide discredited.

In February, Trump signed an enforcement bid granting exile presumption to Afrikaners, specified arsenic Mr Kleinhaus, who helium said were being persecuted.

Mr Kleinhaus is 1 of a radical of 59 who arrived connected Tuesday astatine Dulles airport, adjacent Washington DC, aft Trump's medication fast-tracked their applications.

He admits helium was amazed astatine however rapidly helium got to the US, and that helium is grateful to Trump. "I felt yet idiosyncratic successful this satellite is seeing what's going on," helium says.

As helium and his household arrived with others astatine the airdrome they were greeted with red, achromatic and bluish balloons. He describes the pomp and ceremonial arsenic "overwhelming".

Afrikaners are a achromatic taste number who ran South Africa during the apartheid era, implementing racist policies of segregation successful the state until the authorities was officially abolished successful 1994.

But much than 30 years on, achromatic farmers ain lone a tiny fraction of the country's champion farmland, with the bulk inactive successful achromatic hands.

That has led to choler implicit the dilatory gait of change. Mr Kleinhaus acknowledges that achromatic South Africans person suffered arsenic good arsenic him.

In January, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a arguable instrumentality allowing the authorities to prehend privately owned onshore without compensation - successful definite circumstances, erstwhile it is deemed "equitable and successful the nationalist interest".

The South African authorities says nary onshore has yet been seized. But Mr Kleinhaus says erstwhile determination is simply a authorities assertion connected your onshore - arsenic helium says is the lawsuit with his - it becomes intolerable to function.

"Your onshore becomes worthless - the onshore expropriation has gone excessively far," helium says. "People are frightened of that. Other Afrikaners who criticise america unrecorded successful a bubble."

Some chap Afrikaners person described Mr Kleinhaus and the radical arsenic opportunists, and that being a unfortunate of transgression is not equivalent to the benignant of persecution that deserves exile status.

Mr Kleinhaus acknowledges that the execution complaint of farmers is debased successful South Africa, but says helium does not privation to beryllium a victim. "There are radical successful my country who were changeable and killed," helium says.

He says helium received threats from members of the section community: "I'd regularly get messages connected WhatsApp saying, 'we'll get escaped of you, you're connected my land'."

Mr Kleinhaus says helium received 1 connection earlier helium near for the US which read: "We are coming for you, you amended beryllium awake."

He besides says his farming machinery was damaged, and that section constabulary failed to enactment connected his reports.

Ramaphosa has called the radical who travelled to the US "cowards", saying they bash not privation to code the inequities of the apartheid era.

"As South Africans, we are resilient," helium said earlier this week. "We don't tally distant from our problems. We indispensable enactment present and lick our problems."

What makes the resettlement of the Afrikaners to the US peculiarly arguable is that different refugees person been banned, including Afghans who earlier this week had their Temporary Protected Status removed.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that determination was justified due to the fact that the information and economical concern successful Afghanistan had improved - contempt disapproval from absorption lawmakers and rights groups.

Mr Kleinhaus says helium is sympathetic: "I mean, I consciousness atrocious for the Afghans that they can't get here. But I cognize there's a process there. And I cognize erstwhile and if you are approved for the process, they instrumentality attraction of you."

Does helium interest he's being utilized arsenic a governmental pawn by Trump? And that different president could perchance reverse this determination successful 4 years' time?

Mr Kleinhaus pauses, and says: "Yeah, it is scary, but I americium a spiritual person. Just to beryllium successful this archetypal radical is an enactment of God, I believe, due to the fact that determination was a 0.0 thing percent accidental that you were selected for the archetypal call."

Questions implicit refugees' vetting

Mr Kleinhaus has travel nether scrutiny for antisemitic posts connected societal media, which person since been deleted.

Discussing 1 of these, helium says helium copied and pasted idiosyncratic else's thoughts, and that helium was being administered morphine arsenic portion of aesculapian attraction astatine the clip - though helium admits this was not an excuse.

The 2023 station was made successful a infinitesimal of anger, helium adds, aft helium saw a video - not verified by the BBC - which purported to amusement immoderate Jews spitting astatine Christians successful Israel.

Mr Kleinhaus insists the comments were circumstantial to 1 moment, and not a wider remark astir Jewish people. "Even now, if I spot immoderate idiosyncratic going against my religion, I volition talk up against it," helium said.

The US authorities is facing questions astir the vetting process for those being resettled. The UN's exile bureau told the BBC it was not progressive successful the screening process for the Afrikaners arsenic it usually would beryllium for refugees heading to the US.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has antecedently stated it is screening immigrants' societal media enactment for antisemitism, and utilizing it arsenic a crushed for denying applicants.

The Trump medication has been citing allegations of antisemitism arsenic its officials person successful caller months arrested and tried to deport pro-Palestinian activists.

In a connection to the BBC, a elder DHS authoritative said: "The Department of Homeland Security vets each exile applicants. Any claims of misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and due enactment volition beryllium taken arsenic necessary. DHS does not remark connected idiosyncratic exertion status."

Since returning to office, Trump has launched a crackdown to trim migration much broadly. So, is Mr Kleinhaus acrophobic astir immoderate backlash to his radical being offered introduction to the US?

"People indispensable not deliberation we are conscionable taking vantage of this," helium says. "We travel present to marque a publication to the country.

"I'm not disquieted it'll autumn isolated due to the fact that I judge this is God's program for me.

"My beingness is successful his hands. And if if helium didn't privation maine to come, I wouldn't beryllium here."