Comedian Trevor Noah addressed the controversy surrounding the US refugee resettlement programme for racial minorities from South Africa during a guest appearance at The Connecticut Forum’s 35th anniversary.
Speaking in conversation with journalist Michele Norris, the Soweto-born performer tackled the topic of white South Africans—primarily Afrikaners—being granted refugee status in the US after citing racial persecution and extreme violence.
Highlights from Trevor Noah’s Comments
- “Luggage, Not Baggage”: Quipping about the wealth of many arriving refugees, Noah remarked, “I have seen refugees with baggage, never with luggage.” He noted that many had to sell valuable assets—including businesses, farms, and mansions—prior to being “rescued.”
- Protecting Oppressors vs. Oppressed: Noah pointed out what he viewed as a historical double standard in foreign policy: “What’s interesting to me is how consistently the United States government has first had a concern with the oppressors, but not the oppressed.”
- Crime Linked to Poverty: While acknowledging high crime levels in South Africa, Noah emphasized that violent crime disproportionately impacts poorer Black South Africans: “The adverse effects that any nation faces will be disproportionately felt by the people who are the poorest and most oppressed.”
Background on US Resettlement Intake
Recent official figures indicate that over 12,000 South Africans were resettled in the United States as refugees during the past fiscal year, with primary destination states including Florida, California, Colorado, Illinois, and Iowa.
The increased intake follows an emergency determination expanding the total refugee threshold to 17,500, provided applicants clear required security, medical, and background checks.
