South Africa Detains Seven Kenyans Over Alleged Illegal Work at US Refugee Processing Centre

South African immigration authorities have arrested seven Kenyan nationals in Johannesburg for allegedly working without valid permits at a centre linked to a United States refugee resettlement programme. The individuals are expected to be deported and barred from re-entering the country for several years.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the arrests followed a targeted operation at a facility involved in processing applications for relocation to the United States. Officials said the Kenyans were found working while holding only tourist visas, a direct breach of South Africa’s immigration laws.

The centre is reportedly connected to a US-backed initiative offering refugee status to white Afrikaners, a policy announced earlier this year by the administration of President Donald Trump. Washington has argued that Afrikaners face discrimination, a claim the South African government has firmly rejected.

Authorities said intelligence reports had flagged the presence of foreign nationals who recently entered South Africa as visitors but subsequently took up employment at the processing centre. Acting on this information, immigration officers carried out the raid on Tuesday.

The Home Affairs Department clarified that no US government officials were detained during the operation and that the premises were not a diplomatic site. It also stated that no refugee applicants were intimidated or questioned during the exercise.

The department added that it has formally engaged both Kenyan and US authorities to address the situation, stressing that South Africa will continue to enforce its immigration regulations regardless of the organisations or programmes involved.

The incident comes amid strained relations between Pretoria and Washington, which have deteriorated in recent months over trade disputes, diplomatic tensions, and policy disagreements. US officials have since criticised the raid, describing interference with refugee operations as unacceptable and calling for further clarification from the South African government.