A white South African who had overstayed his work visa in Canada, applied for refugee status on the grounds that should he return to South Africa, black South Africans would “persecute” him.
He was granted refugee status by an immigration board tribunal in Ottawa last week.
According to media reports the tribunal chair ruled that there was “clear and convincing proof of the state’s inability or unwillingness to protect him” and added: “I find that the claimant would stand out like a ‘sore thumb’ due to his colour in any part of the country.” Serious. Every South African–especially poor blacks who are majority of the victims of violent crime–can make such a case. Will Canada grant them refugee status. As for the second: that white people stand out in South Africa. That is so nonsensical, that it does not deserve comment.
The claimant, Brandon Huntley, also told the tribunal: “There’s a hatred of what we did to them and it’s all about the colour of your skin.” I must have missed a race riot or forms of retributive violence against whites in the last 15 years since the end of Apartheid. Instead, poor black South Africans have turned on other blacks (immigrants, their neighbors) and largely hold the state and the ruling party (both majority black) responsible for their plight.
This is the kind of nonsense peddled on blogs by a section of expatriate white South Africans. That it was taken serious by a Canadian court boggles the mind.
What is also odd is from reports of the case is that violent crime–which as I said already, affects mostly blacks–is defined as a race war against whites. You got to be kidding me.
This is all surreal yet there is some in and outside South Africa who will defend this.
[By the way, this is a new tactic. In the past, a family of white South Africans applicants claimed there's too much sun in South Africa to live in Canada. They won their case. Here in the US, a white South African woman was not so lucky.]
I agree that the black population is suffering the worst brunt of the violent crime. One cannot however blame white people feeling this way.
When three black dudes gangrape a white woman in her own home infront of her husband and kids and then execute the husband and tells them they are settlers or white dogs it hard to justify it as normal crime. Especially when they take a few hundred rand only and cellphone.
Further when politicians say stuff like it is ok to rob white people etc it only makes the situation worse.
Clearly not all violent crime against white people are racially motivated. This we can all accept. Racially motivated killing do occur however on occation. Looking the other way or making it of as normal crime doesn’t help the situation and is not a solution.
Also to say expats are the ones pushing this agenda is not really correct. Most white people in SA I speak to feel this way. Whether they are correct or not doesn’t matter. this is their perception and only ones the government starts to act against crime this perception will go away.
Personally I don’t think the guy deserves refugee status.
I am trying to get hold of Sean Jacobs, the author of this blog. If you read this, please could you email me charles (at) bruin-ou.com
Thanks!
It is no secret that black racism towards whites is very common in South Africa, just as there was & still are white people that are racist towards blacks. Whether its black on white or vice versa, it is not acceptable & must be exposed & addressed. Crime in SA is rampant & often violent & urgent, effective action is necessary. Just as the world put pressure on the Apartheid Govt. to end Apartheid it should apply pressure on SA to end racism & provide adequate safety against violent crime for its citizens. As far as Brandon Huntley is concerned, his fear may be justified, but I cannot believe that they are grounds for Refugee status, to me it seems that he has abused a loophole in the Canadian justice system, to stay in Canada after his work permit has expired. Now that the world economy has made it tough for expats to remain in countries they have moved to, they are becoming increasingly pressured to find ways to stay & keep their jobs, but this has got to be scraping the bottom of the barrel & quite frankly is an embarrassment.
though blacks are the victims of most crime they are also the largest section of the population. The whites and immigrants are disproportionately victimized. Thereby showing a clear trend of racially motivated crimes.
Yes, there is racism in all races but going simply by statistical probablity and data evidence, there seems to be a concerted effort to erase white Afrikaners.