The United States (U.S.) has condemned a recent raid on its refugee processing centre in South Africa that saw seven Kenyan employees deported for visa violations.
In a statement, the South African government stated that no US officials were arrested in the process and no members of the public or prospective refugees were harassed. However, the U.S. maintains that its officials were detained.
“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 American Embassy in South Africa said in a press release.
Additionally, the U.S. condemned the public release of its officials’ passport information, terming it an unacceptable form of harassment.
“This can only be seen as an attempt to intimidate U.S. government personnel in South Africa on official business. The United States will not tolerate such behavior toward its government’s officials – or toward any of its citizens – who are legally and peacefully operating abroad. The public release of personal identifying information puts the official in harm’s way,” the embassy added.
The raid has escalated the already delicate diplomatic situation between South Africa and America. President Donald Trump had earlier this year made unsubstantiated claims that white farmers in South Africa were facing a genocide, remarks that the South African administration has continually denied.
The U.S. has called on South Africa to hold accountable officers involved in the raid or face severe consequences.
“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 and hold those responsible accountable.”
The chain of events
Earlier this week, the government in South Africa arrested seven Kenyans working for a US-linked centre and issued them deportation orders after they were found to have violated the country’s visa regulations.
It is reported that the involved individuals entered South Africa on tourist visas but went ahead to work for the centre even after their application for work visas for the jobs were denied.
“Yesterday, the Department of Home Affairs executed a routine, lawful operation in Johannesburg targeted at suspected violations of South African immigration law. The operation followed after intelligence reports indicated that a number of Kenyan nationals had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken up work at a centre processing the applications of so-called “refugees” to the United States,” the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa said in a statement.
The seven Kenyan were arrested and issued with deportation orders, and will be prohibited from entering South Africa again for a five-year period.
The said centre is charge of handling the immigration of white farmers from South Africa to the United States (US). This is after President Donald Trump earlier this year made unsubstantiated claims that the farmers were facing genocide in the country and offered them refugee status in the US.
South Africa has dramatically intensified deportations over the past 18 months, as it works to turn around the long-standing abuse of its immigration and visa system.
The government found fault with foreign officials working with undocumented workers, saying it had officially reached out to the Kenyan and US governments to resolve the matter.
“The presence of foreign officials apparently coordinating with undocumented workers naturally raises serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol.”
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