Afrikaner South Africans who take up US President Donald Trump’s offer of asylum in America could face serious repercussions, says an immigration expert.
This comes amid the controversial stateman’s call to the white population to urgently seek refugee status under his administration.
In recent weeks, Trump has accused the SA government of promoting “racist laws” and “confiscating land” from its citizens.
IMMIGRATION EXPERT WARNS OF ASYLUM REPERCUSSIONS
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Canadian immigration consultant Nicholas Avramis advised South Africans to heed all aspects of the asylum process, particularly its repercussions.
He said: “One thing people don’t understand is that when you make this claim – seek asylum or refugee status in any country – this will follow you for life.”
He continued: “What does this mean? Well if you make an application for a visitor visa to the UK or study permit in Australia [for example], immigration officials are going to ask you if you’ve applied for refugee status. The threshold for immigration officers is to determine if you can abide by your temporary visa status or whether you plan to return to your home country”.
Avramis stated that seeking a visa in other countries could be rejected on this basis.
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He continued, “If you’ve made a refugee claim, you’ve declared that you want to leave your home country, in this case, South Africa, and plan to never return.
“This is something that is going to follow you, and you’re always going to explain it in your travels.”
The immigration expert also stated that it was unknown if Trump’s asylum order would permit South Africans to be granted a green card or citizenship. He also claimed that with a potentially new administration in four years, policies could change, affecting those who have sought asylum.
He added, “When you make this claim [seeking asylum], especially for a family, this will also be on the children’s records. Down the road, you will have to answer for it. If you fail to answer for it, you will get banned from that country.”
He added that South Africans interested would likely have to “prove their persecution” based on “fear for your safety, whether it’s based on race, culture, religious or political affiliation.”
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO RETURN TO SA?
According to the US Citizens and Immigration Services (USCIS), refugees could face travel restrictions out of their adopted country.
For those who seek asylum in the US, this means obtaining permission via a travel document before leaving the country.
Failure to do so could result in asylees being denied re-entry into the US. These actions could also strip asylees of their refugee status, resulting in removal proceedings before an immigration judge.
In the case of Afrikaners, returning to South Africa – considered the country of “persecution” may be a bit more complicated, as outlined below…
- Refugees who visit SA without prior permission shall be presumed to have abandoned their asylum. Unless they can establish compelling reasons for their return.
- Refugees are expected to explain the reason for their return in the process of obtaining permission.
- Returning to one’s country of claimed persecution could result in termination of asylum if there are fundamental changes in circumstances back home.
- Termination could also occur due to fraud in the asylum application. This happens if an applicant is not eligible for refugee status.
- Returning to SA for business or pleasure can be considered evidence that the refugee’s alleged fear of persecution is not genuine.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SEEKING ASYLUM IN THE US, AND LEAVING SOUTH AFRICA FOR GOOD?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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