South African white man granted refugee status
By ROB GILLIES (AP) – 13 hours ago

TORONTO — A white man from South Africa has been given refugee status in Canada after claiming persecution, his lawyer said, angering many in his home country where race remains a highly sensitive issue.

A Canadian immigration board panel issued its ruling late last week in the case involving Brandon Carl Huntley, according to his lawyer, Russell Kaplan.

Kaplan said Tuesday it's likely the first time a white South African has been granted refugee status in Canada claiming persecution from black South Africans.

The Immigration and Refugee Board refused to comment on the case or to release the decision. Board spokesman Stephane Malepart said he is barred from commenting on any individual case by privacy provisions.

Malepart said the board is an independent tribunal that operates at arms' length from the Canadian government.

Huntley argued that whites are targeted by black criminals in South Africa and that the government does nothing to protect them. He claimed he was attacked seven times during attempted robberies and muggings.

Kaplan, a South African native who moved to Canada 20 years, said tribunal panel chair William Davis ruled that Huntley would stand out like a "sore thumb" due to his color in any part of South Africa and that Kaplan's fears of persecution are justified based on the evidence he submitted.

In his its written decision, Davis said "I find that the claimant was a victim because of his race (white South African) rather than a victim of criminality."

It also said that Huntley "has presented clear and convincing proof of the state's inability or unwillingness to protect him."

The news of the Canadian panel's ruling made headlines and was a topic for call-in radio programs in South Africa Tuesday.

Ronnie Mamoepa, spokesman for South Africa's immigration ministry, said Huntley's "claims were aimed at tarnishing the good name of black and white South Africans ... and were racially motivated."

He also said that "it would have been courteous for the Canadian government to allow the South African government to respond to these claims."

The governing African National Congress said the government is working hard to curb crime.

ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu added, "We find the claim by Huntley to have been attacked seven times by Africans due his skin color without any police intervention sensational and alarming."

He added: "Canada's reasoning for granting Huntley a refugee status can only serve to perpetuate racism."

In an editorial Tuesday, the Johannesburg daily The Times said: "News that Canada has granted a white South African refugee status because his life is in danger at the hands of his black countrymen is shocking and saddening. It says more about Canadian perceptions than South African reality."

But AfriForum, a white lobby, has asked Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the South African immigration minister, to look into the cause of white emigration and to take seriously the claim by Huntley's lawyer that he "presented a clear and convincing proof of the state's inability or unwillingness to protect him."

Huntley made a refugee claim in 2008 after staying in Canada illegally for a year with a work permit.

Kaplan, the attorney, said his sister, Laura Kaplan, testified about being threatened by armed black South Africans.

Associated Press writer Nkemeleng Nkosi contributed to this story from Johannesburg.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Apparently SA is VERY violent. thousands of police die every year, a HUGE proportion of the female population have been raped.

Surely canada would have to have strong valid reasons to afford someone refugee status.

I'm gonna refrain from passing my opinion here, but I must say that this is a fascinating story.  This invites so many deep and meaningful questions, and as a researcher of these topics (race, immigration, ethnic relations), I cannot help but want to ask a few.

So here is 1 (well several interrelated):

What SHOULD constitute a refugee?  Is it someone persecuted?  Well then, define persecution.  How about a civilian who is drafted (or whatever) into a war and forced to fight?  Perhaps against people of their own ethnic background.  This could easily be the case if the USA enlisted a draft.  Could such a person claim refugee status- they are being forced to possibly kill and possibly die, perhaps for a cause they do not believe or flat-out disagree with.  Were American draft-dodgers in Vietnam refugees?

Please share any thoughts.

The ruling white party knew exactly what would happen if the keys to South Africa were handed over to the black majority. How prescient they were, and how ignonminous were our perfidious and sanctimonious actions against them. South Africa is obviously converging with the third world; the only thread that keeps it from resembling the rest of Africa still present is its dwindling white majority, and it will only be a matter of time before said minority has either entirely fled or been hacked to death by machettes. It isn't just whites within the country who are questioning the current state of affairs; many blacks too are realizing that the stern, patriarchal hand of white minority rule is miles more benevolent than the abusive negligence meted out by the 'big men' manifest in the ANC.

We have nobody but ourselves to blame. We sold South Africa on a platter to the third world, solely to make ourselves feel morally superior and generous spirited. We did not try to understand.

Of course not. I was being histrionic more than anything; certain elements within the Western world are to blame, and I was simply making a blanket statement for dramatic effect..

Lovely to be able to pop in Helian; can't say I didn't miss our often tension fraught exchanges. I'll be back in Australia soon.