7 Kenyans Arrested in South Africa Over Visa Forgery in US Refugee Applications

Seven Kenyan nationals have been arrested in South Africa for allegedly working illegally on refugee applications linked to the United States, authorities have confirmed.

In a statement released on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said the arrests followed a routine operation carried out in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Intelligence reports indicated that the Kenyans had entered the country on tourist visas but later engaged in employment, which violates South African immigration laws.

According to the department, the seven individuals were working at a facility involved in processing refugee resettlement applications for people seeking to move to the United States. Officials noted that earlier visa requests by Kenyan nationals to legally carry out this work had already been rejected.

As a result, deportation procedures have been initiated, and the arrested individuals will be barred from re-entering South Africa for a period of five years.

“During the operation, seven Kenyan nationals were found working while only holding tourist visas, which is a clear violation of their entry conditions,” the department said. “They were arrested, issued with deportation orders, and declared undesirable for five years.”

No US Officials Arrested

The Department of Home Affairs clarified that no U.S. government officials were arrested during the operation. It also stated that the raid did not take place at any diplomatic premises and that members of the public, including refugee applicants, were not harassed.

Authorities added that the arrests were part of intensified immigration enforcement measures that have been ongoing for the past 18 months.

Refugee Programme Under Scrutiny

The incident comes amid growing tension surrounding a U.S. refugee resettlement programme involving claims that white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, face racial persecution — claims that the South African government has strongly rejected.

Information on the U.S. embassy website shows that refugee processing in South Africa is being handled by groups including Amerikaners, led by white South Africans, and RSC Africa, a Kenya-based refugee support organisation operated by Church World Service.

Media reports indicated that the seven Kenyans were arrested on Tuesday and would be deported. CNN also reported that two U.S. government employees were briefly detained before being released — a claim that South African authorities later denied.

Diplomatic Tensions Rise

In its statement, South Africa’s Home Affairs department said the presence of foreign officials allegedly coordinating with undocumented workers raised “serious concerns regarding diplomatic protocol and intent.”

The government confirmed that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation had opened formal diplomatic discussions with both Kenya and the United States to resolve the matter.

Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department spokesperson quoted by CNN described interference with refugee operations as “unacceptable” and said Washington was seeking immediate clarification.

South Africa has previously opposed proposals to classify Afrikaners as refugees eligible for resettlement in the U.S. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya dismissed claims by the U.S. Mission to South Africa that such admissions were justified under former President Donald Trump’s executive order, insisting that no South African citizens meet the legal definition of refugees.