By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The United States has threatened South Africa with “severe consequences” following a raid at a refugee processing centre in Johannesburg that led to the arrest of Kenyan nationals working illegally in the country.
Fullview understands the expelled seven Kenyan nationals were brought into the country with the help of the US to process Afrikaner relocations.
The operation was conducted by Department of Home Affairs in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies after intelligence reports indicated that Kenyan nationals had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and taken up employment at a centre, processing applications for “refugees” to the US.
Home Affairs noted that two United States officials were also arrested during the operation, which was not conducted at a diplomatic site. The department said, that no members of the public or prospective “refugees” were harassed during the arrests.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the charge on Thursday, alleging that US nationals had been briefly detained in the imbroglio, a move Washington “condemns in the strongest terms”.
Rubio added that officials’ passport information had been leaked, in what he called “an unacceptable form of harassment” that risked putting the individuals “in harm’s way”.
Failure by the South African Government to hold those responsible accountable will result in severe consequences, “he said.
In response, South African government says deportation of Kenyan nationals by Home Affairs was conducted in strict accordance with South African immigration law.
“These individuals were engaged in work without the necessary work permits. The government will not negotiate its sovereignty and the implementation of the rule of law, “said Ronald Lamola minister of Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco).
This comes as the Trump administration has staunched refugee admittances for nearly all other nationalities, dropping admittances to a historic low of 7,500 for 2026, in what rights groups have decried as blatant racism.
The diplomatic relationship between the US and South Africa has entered one of its most turbulent phases since the end of apartheid.
The Trump administration has previously expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the US, boycotted the G20 summit in Johannesburg and excluded South Africa from attending the event next year in Miami.