South African Afrikaner “Refugee” accused of exploiting U.S. resettlement programme to join her husband in the US

Jacqueline Botha, a 52-year-old Afrikaner woman, is at the center of controversy after allegedly using the U.S. refugee resettlement programme to gain entry into the country under questionable pretenses.

Botha, who recently left her middle-class suburb in Gqeberha with her three children, joined a group of 49 white South Africans claiming racial persecution. However, critics argue that her true motive was to reunite with her husband, who has been living in the U.S. for several years.

The resettlement effort follows a controversial Trump-era executive order that grants refugee status to South African minorities citing racial discrimination. While some view this policy as a necessary refuge for those facing hostility, others see it as an avenue being manipulated for personal benefit.

Social media users have expressed outrage, with some branding Botha’s move as a “free trip” disguised as asylum, and others mocking what they call a loophole in U.S. immigration policy.