Lamola maintains 49 Afrikaners who left for US don't qualify to be refugees

CAPE TOWN - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola maintains that the 49 Afrikaners who’ve left for the United States (US) don’t qualify to be refugees.

Lamola also confirmed that the group who’ve been granted refugee status by the United States were vetted by the South African police before their departure.

But the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said they don’t know the details of their applications with the US because the process is confidential.

Lamola addressed the media on Monday on the country’s preparations for the November G20 leaders’ summit.

Lamola addressed the departure of 49 Afrikaners to the US after they were granted refugee status after claiming they were being persecuted in South Africa.

But Lamola said that nothing qualified them as refugees despite Trump’s executive order that offers them refugee status. 

"We have stated in the statement we issued on Friday that, in line with the international definition, they do not qualify for the status, according to us."

READ: Afrikaners relocating to US could lose refugee status should they decide to return to SA

DIRCO head of Public Policy, Clayson Monyela, said they don’t know what the 49 stated in their applications with the US embassy and details around their economic status or employment.

"The application for someone to be considered a refugee in this context is treated as confidential between the applicant and the country they are applying to."

On the G20 leaders’ summit, Lamola said the US government was yet to confirm whether Trump would be attending or would give the summit a miss.