South Africa to Deport Seven Kenyans Over Illegal Work on U.S. Refugee Applications

By : Mweru Mbugua 

South African authorities have arrested seven Kenyan nationals and will deport them for illegally working on the processing of refugee applications for the United States government, officials said on Wednesday

The arrests took place during an operation on Tuesday, during which two U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) refugee officers were briefly detained before being released, according to a USCIS official and a person familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity

USCIS did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while a U.S. State Department spokesperson described the raid as “unacceptable”

The incident is linked to a U.S. resettlement programme launched this year under President Donald Trump’s administration, which seeks to relocate thousands of white South Africans to the United States on claims that they face racial persecution. South Africa has strongly rejected those claims

According to the U.S. embassy’s website, refugee case processing in South Africa is conducted by RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee support centre operated by Church World Service

South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs said the Kenyan nationals had entered the country on tourist visas and had unlawfully taken up employment at a refugee processing centre, despite earlier visa applications for such work having been denied

The ministry added that no U.S. officials were arrested

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“We are seeking immediate clarification from the South African government and expect full cooperation and accountability,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement sent to Reuters

He added that interfering with U.S. refugee operations was unacceptable and that Washington would defend its personnel and interests

The episode is expected to further strain already tense relations between Washington and Pretoria

During his second term, President Trump has repeatedly made disputed claims about South Africa’s treatment of its white minority, citing them as justification for cutting aid and excluding the country from G20 meetings

South Africa’s government said it had initiated formal diplomatic engagements with both the United States and Kenya to resolve the matter, noting that the presence of foreign officials working alongside undocumented workers raised concerns over intent and diplomatic protocol

A spokesperson for Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said she was not aware of the incident but would seek more information