Trevor Noah has shared his views on white South Africans who have taken up refugee status in the US under the resettlement programme.
The South African comedian commented on the controversial programme during his guest appearance at The Connecticut Forum’s 35th anniversary this week.
To date, almost 17 000 mainly Afrikaner South Africans have resettled in the US after claiming racial “persecution” in South Africa.
TREVOR NOAH ON WHITE REFUGEES
During his appearance at The Connecticut Forum, Trevor Noah was asked to share his views about the US’s refugee resettlement programme to South African racial minorities, particularly Afrikaner white people.
Speaking to US journalist Michele Norris, the Soweto-born comedian commented that the US administration, under President Donald Trump, had prioritised “rescuing” white South Africans, who claimed to face extreme violence and “genocide”.
The 42-year-old cheekily responded, “Most white South Africans are having a great time here…Many of these refugees had to sell their businesses, their farms and their mansions so that they could be ‘rescued’.
“When I saw those people, what I remember thinking was: I have seen refugees with baggage, never with luggage. It was very
Trevor Noah went on to highlight the wage gap and wealth distribution among South Africa’s racial groups. He implied that the US government had a hidden agenda in assisting South Africans.
He continued: “What’s interesting to me is how consistently the United States government has first had a concern with the oppressors, but not the oppressed.
“Yes, crime is terrible. But you know who is being killed more than white South Africans? Black South Africans. It’s a crime linked to poverty.
“The adverse effects that any nation faces will be disproportionately felt by the people who are the poorest and most oppressed”.
HOW MANY SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE RESETTLED IN THE US?
According to the latest data released by US authorities, over 12 000 South Africans have resettled in the US as refugees in the past fiscal year.
The figure is the sum of successful applicants between October 2025 and the end of August 2026
The states receiving the biggest groups of arrivals include Florida, California, Colorado, Illinois and Iowa.
In May 2026, US President Trump issued an emergency determination increasing the refugee intake for the fiscal year to 17,500. Applicants are required to pass the relevant screening, security and medical processes and be approved for admission.