The South African government has defended its recent decision to deport seven Kenyans found illegally working on processing refugee applications for the U.S. government.
In a statement on Thursday, December 18, the South African government insisted that the Kenyans were deported after being found working in the country without the required permits.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration emphasised that immigration enforcement is a sovereign matter and that his government would not compromise on the rule of law.
"The recent deportation of seven Kenyan nationals by the Department of Home Affairs was conducted in strict accordance with South African immigration law," the South African government stated.
“These individuals were undertaking work without valid permits, and the government will not compromise its sovereignty or the enforcement of the rule of law,” the statement continued.
This response came after the U.S. Department of State released a statement the same day, with President Donald Trump’s administration denouncing what it termed the detention and harassment of foreign nationals in South Africa.
The United States further alleged that South African officials permitted the public disclosure of passport details of American personnel, describing the move as an unacceptable act of harassment that endangered its officials.
The U.S. warned that failure by the South African government to hold those responsible accountable would result in 'severe consequences,' urging immediate action to control the situation.
"The U.S. condemns in the strongest terms the South African government's recent detention of U.S. officials performing their duties to provide humanitarian support to Afrikaners," the U.S government said.
"Failure by the South African Government to hold those responsible accountable will result in severe consequences. We call on the Government of South Africa to take immediate action to bring this situation under control," it added.
The latest development comes just two days after Ramaphosa's administration arrested the seven Kenyans who had gone to process refugee applications for white South Africans, referred to as Afrikaners, to move to the U.S.
The passport processing was reportedly part of a programme initiated by the Trump administration that prioritises white South Africans as refugees based on claims of racial persecution and 'white genocide.'
