South Africa’s new ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has denied the claim that white Afrikaners are facing a genocide in the country. Meyer, who was a key figure in ending apartheid in the 1990s, told the BBC that the idea of a mass attack on the white Afrikaner minority does not exist. He emphasized that his personal identity as a born Afrikaner gives him the authority to make this statement. Meyer was appointed ambassador to the US in April, following a period of strained diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Trump administration has proposed a plan to admit up to 17,500 additional white Afrikaners as refugees over the next year. A White House spokeswoman stated that the move is meant to provide a "lifeline" to Afrikaners who, according to the administration, are being "raped, maimed, killed and driven off their property" in South Africa. An Afrikaner lobby group is planning a vigil in Washington, D.C., where thousands of white crosses will be placed on the National Mall to honor those they say have been victims of "farm attacks." Meyer expressed a desire to engage with Trump about the realities of the situation in South Africa, stating that as a "born Afrikaner," he has the "legitimacy" to speak on the issue. He also urged the US to assist South Africa in improving its crime response, including by providing equipment to speed up police reaction times. Meyer addressed Afrikaners protesting "farm attacks" by laying white crosses in Washington, emphasizing that external protests are less effective than efforts to address the issue domestically. Some Afrikaners, like Lielie, a woman who moved from South Africa to Texas under the refugee program, say they feel safer in the US. Lielie described feeling constant fear on her family’s farm in South Africa, where they had walls, an electric fence, and guard dogs, yet still felt threatened. Others, such as SJ Du Venage, a member of the Freedom Front Plus, a right-wing Afrikaner party, argue that there is a deliberate agenda to target white South Africans. Critics of the refugee program, including some Afrikaners in South Africa, argue that it is unfair to prioritize white Afrikaners over other groups facing violence, such as women. Larry Bartlett, a former director of the US Refugee Assistance Programme, suggested that using the refugee program for people who do not meet the legal criteria for refugee status could be "unlawful." He noted that many white South Africans are not fleeing war or ethnic cleansing, but rather seeking to leave due to a "loss of privilege" following the end of apartheid. The Trump administration has also raised concerns about other policies in South Africa, including efforts to increase non-white employment in companies and a law allowing the government to expropriate land without compensation in exceptional cases. These measures aim to address historical racial inequality. Meyer has called for the revocation of Trump’s executive order that supports the refugee pathway, arguing that South Africa has not prevented people from leaving and has addressed US concerns. He emphasized that while crime is a serious issue in South Africa, it is not limited to rural areas or farm attacks, with the highest levels of crime found in black townships.