GUEST: Ismail Lagardien is a writer, columnist and political economist with extensive exposure and experience in global political economic affairs. 

In this sharply observed column, Ismail Lagardien critiques the phenomenon of Afrikaners emigrating to the U.S. under claims of persecution, arguing many are driven by discomfort with post-apartheid South Africa rather than genuine threat. He challenges the narrative of "white genocide" and contends that these so-called "spaza refugees" are unlikely to admit they had better living conditions in South Africa than they will experience abroad. Drawing on personal experience and political-economic analysis, Lagardien highlights how myths of persecution are often more ideological than factual — and warns that life in the U.S. may prove harsher than expected