In a media statement issued on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the department said the arrests were made after intelligence reports indicated that the individuals had entered the country on tourist visas but were engaged in employment, in contravention of South Africa’s immigration laws.
The department stated that the individuals were working at a facility involved in processing applications for individuals seeking refugee resettlement in the United States. Previous applications for work visas submitted on behalf of Kenyan nationals to perform this role had been legally declined.
Home Affairs said deportation proceedings against the seven individuals are currently underway, and they will be prohibited from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years.
“During the operation, seven Kenyan nationals were found working while in possession of tourist visas only, in clear violation of their conditions of entry,” the department said. “They were arrested, issued deportation orders, and will be barred from returning to South Africa for five years.”
The department emphasized that no United States officials were arrested, the operation did not take place at a diplomatic facility, and no members of the public or prospective refugees were harassed. It added that the enforcement action was carried out in accordance with established procedures and forms part of intensified deportation efforts over the past 18 months.
The arrests come amid heightened scrutiny of a U.S. refugee resettlement programme linked to claims that white South Africans face racial persecution—allegations that the South African government has consistently rejected.
According to the U.S. Embassy website, refugee processing in South Africa is conducted by Amerikaners, a group led by white South Africans, in partnership with RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee support center operated by Church World Service.
Media reports indicated that the seven Kenyan nationals were arrested on Tuesday and are set to be deported. CNN reported that two U.S. government employees were briefly detained and later released; however, South African authorities have denied that any American nationals were arrested.
In its statement, the Department of Home Affairs said the presence of foreign officials “apparently coordinating with undocumented workers” raised “serious questions about intent and diplomatic protocol.” It confirmed that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has initiated formal diplomatic engagements with both the United States and Kenya regarding the matter.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson, quoted by CNN, said that “interfering in our refugee operations is unacceptable” and that Washington would seek immediate clarification from South Africa.
The South African government has previously opposed plans to grant refugee status to Afrikaners seeking relocation to the United States. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya dismissed a statement by the U.S. Mission to South Africa claiming that admissions of Afrikaners were consistent with former President Donald Trump’s executive order, insisting that no South African citizens meet the criteria for refugee status.