South African white man granted refugee status [View All]

[Liberal_in_LA]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

South African white man granted refugee status

By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

(09-01) 17:27 PDT TORONTO, Canada (AP) --

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.

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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.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/09/01/international/i172712D86.DTL&tsp=1