US asylum applications: What Afrikaners need to know

Canadian immigration consultant Nicholas Avramis has advised members of the Afrikaner community to exercise caution when considering asylum applications in the United States of America.

Last month, US President Donald Trump issued an order for prioritisation of white Afrikaner South Africans through the United States refugee programme.

This was after he claimed that Afrikaners in the country were being persecuted. He also criticised the South African government over the Land Expropriation Bill which seeks to facilitate land reform by enabling the redistribution of land to address historical injustices resulting from discriminatory apartheid laws.

Trump has also cut aid to South Africa, including the Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) that accounts for 17% of the country's HIV programme.

Following Trump's assertion that Afrikaners can apply for refugee status in the US, reactions have been mixed.

While some have dismissed the idea of leaving South Africa for the US, others have expressed their intention to apply for refugee status. According to reports, more than 10,000 white farmers have expressed interest in relocating to the United States.

Avramis of Beaver Immigration, a leading Canadian immigration firm, warned Afrikaners against applying to the United States, stating that it could jeopardise future applications to other countries, including Canada.

"Recently we have been receiving calls from members of predominantly the Afrikaner community asking questions about this new refugee and asylum policy that the US has come up with," Avramis told broadcaster NewZroom Afrika.

Avramis explained that refugee and asylum claims are governed by the 1951 Convention Act, which allows individuals to make asylum claims if they fear prosecution or serious harm. However, seeking refugee status in another country can have long-term implications.

"But one thing people don't understand is that when you make this claim or seek refugee status in a country. It will follow you for life when you go to make an application for a visitor visa to the UK or a study permit to Australia.

"Officials are going to ask if you have applied for refugee status and usually the threshold for immigration officers is to check if you're to abide by your temporary visa status or whether you're going to return to your home country (South Africa), you plan to never return. It's something you will always have to explain during your travels"

Avramis emphasised there was uncertainty over the policy highlighting that it was still unclear how long the processing time was and whether it would lead to US citizenship.

"We see these all the time in our practice. People being rejected for visas in Canada because they failed to note they were refused for a visa before or they did apply for refugee status before.

"When you make this type of claim, especially for a family that has young children this will also be on the children's record. So you have to be careful in making these claims and down the road, you will have to answer for them if you fail to answer them, especially in a country like Canada you will get in that country for five years"

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