Staff Reporter
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said late on Thursday it had deported seven Kenyan nationals for working without permits, and rejected US allegations that it was involved in leaking private information about American officials, saying the issues would be handled through diplomatic channels.
“The recent deportation of seven Kenyan nationals by the Department of 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,” DIRCO said in a statement.
The US State Department earlier this week condemned the brief detention of two US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) refugee officers during Tuesday’s operation and said their passport information had been publicly released, calling it harassment.
Said DIRCO: “Separately, we have noted an unsubstantiated allegation regarding the private information of US officials. South Africa treats all matters of data security with the utmost seriousness and operates under stringent legal and diplomatic protocols. We categorically reject any suggestion of state involvement in such actions.”
The Department of Home Affairs said on Wednesday the seven Kenyans had entered on tourist visas and were found working at a centre processing refugee applications for the United States, despite earlier visa applications for Kenyans to do the work having been denied. It said no US officials were arrested.
The dispute centres on a Trump administration initiative that prioritises Afrikaners for resettlement in the United States.
Trump has said Afrikaners are victims of racial discrimination and violence, claims the South African government has repeatedly denied. In May, the first group of 59 white South Africans arrived in the United States under the programme.
South Africa has opposed the initiative, saying allegations of discrimination are unfounded and that the white minority it targets does not meet the definition of refugees.
Reuters has reported that case processing in South Africa is handled by RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee support centre operated by Church World Service, and that Washington has sought clarification from Pretoria about interference with its refugee operations.
DIRCO said it would handle the dispute through official channels: “[W]e remain committed to principled and transparent diplomacy. Official channels have been opened with the United States government to seek clarity on this allegation and to reinforce that our bilateral engagements must be grounded in mutual respect and factual dialogue.”
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