Almost 70,000 South Africans reportedly interested in US asylum

Close to 70,000 South Africans person expressed involvement successful moving to the US pursuing Washington's connection to resettle radical from the country's Afrikaner community, a concern radical has said.

The South African Chamber of Commerce successful the USA (Saccusa) said its website received tens of thousands of registrations from those seeking much information.

In a February enforcement order, President Donald Trump said Afrikaners - descendants of chiefly Dutch settlers who arrived successful the 17th Century - could beryllium admitted arsenic refugees arsenic they were "victims of unjust radical discrimination".

Relations betwixt the US and South Africa person go progressively strained since Trump became president successful January.

Saccusa said that successful a "pivotal step", it has handed the database of funny individuals to the US embassy successful Pretoria.

An embassy authoritative confirmed to the BBC that it had received the list.

Out of the 67,042 radical who registered connected Saccusa's site, astir had Afrikaner oregon English names, the organisation's president, Neil Diamond, said.

Saccussa - a radical representing South African businesspeople surviving successful the US - said astir of those who expressed involvement successful migrating were aged betwixt 25 and 45 and had betwixt 2 and 3 dependants.

The concern radical is not an authoritative authorities body, but got progressive successful the registering of involvement by mishap aft it was inundated with requests for much accusation astir resettlement, Mr Diamond told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.

Some achromatic South Africans accidental they are discriminated against, a assertion that has caught the attraction of right-wing groups successful the US.

Simultaneously, South Africa's achromatic number person the immense bulk of privately held onshore and wealthiness successful the country, much than 30 years since the racist strategy of apartheid ended.

Tensions betwixt South Africa and the US spiked successful January, erstwhile South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into instrumentality a measure allowing the authorities to prehend onshore without compensation, provided it was successful the "public interest".

The determination followed years of calls for onshore reform, with activists and politicians seeking to redistribute farmland from the achromatic minority.

In effect to the caller law, Trump signed the enforcement bid offering exile presumption to Afrikaners who were "escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination".

In March, Trump extended the invitation to each farmers successful South Africa, which helium called "a atrocious spot to beryllium close now".

Last month, the president chopped assistance to the country.

Ramaphosa responded to Trump's criticisms by saying South Africa has not seized immoderate onshore and that the caller measure ensures "public entree to onshore successful an equitable and conscionable mode arsenic guided by the constitution".

Regardless, the spat betwixt the 2 countries has worsened. Last week the US expelled South Africa's ambassador to Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing him arsenic a "race-baiting politician".