A South African woman who moved to the United States under the controversial refugee resettlement programme has died by suicide, just over two months after arriving in the country.
Carin Cilliers, 49, from Bardene in Boksburg, Gauteng, died in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, 8 September 2026. She had arrived in the US on 30 June after being accepted into the South African refugee programme.
Her death has raised questions about the emotional and practical challenges faced by people attempting to rebuild their lives in a new country, including loneliness, employment difficulties and access to mental health support.
From Boksburg to America
Before leaving South Africa, Cilliers ran her own business and was described as a passionate horse lover. She was initially settled in San Andreas, California, before later moving to Texas, where she had an American contact.
Her cousin, Yolandé Cilliers, had also moved to the US under the same programme earlier this year.
According to Yolandé, Carin had experienced several traumatic events before leaving South Africa and had struggled with her mental health. She said Carin had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had wanted to return home.
“Many people think it is easy to start over. It is not, especially when you are taking on this journey alone,” Yolandé said.
Loneliness and the struggle to find work
Carin’s experience reportedly included difficulty finding employment after arriving in America.
Lianda Alkema, a South African refugee and recruiter for a US-based recruitment agency in Texas, said she had known Cilliers and described her as a compassionate woman with “a very impressive CV”.
Alkema said finding work could be particularly difficult for newly arrived refugees, regardless of their previous professional experience.
“I usually tell the refugees that the perfect job does not come overnight. Some refugees expect to walk into a managerial position, but the reality is that you have to start at the bottom and work yourself up the ranks again,” she said.
Another South African refugee and social media influencer, Nerine Beukes, summed up the employment challenge bluntly: “In America, your qualifications and job experience are irrelevant.”
Questions over mental health support
Cilliers’ death has also prompted questions about mental health screening and support for people entering the refugee programme.
Alkema said mental illness was not automatically a reason for excluding someone from the programme.
“The programme does not discriminate against mental illnesses,” she said.
Pretoria-based psychologist Dr Hermann Liebenberg said the experience of moving to a new country could be particularly difficult for people already dealing with mental health challenges.
“We must understand that expectations and American culture are different from those in South Africa. Sometimes, people with bipolar disorder do not want to seek the help they need,” he said.
Liebenberg believes refugees should receive individual mental health assessments and urged newcomers to build support networks within their communities.
“They will become your anchor, especially if you are alone,” he said.
A controversial refugee programme
Cilliers’ death comes against the backdrop of intense controversy surrounding the US decision to prioritise white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, for refugee resettlement.
The Trump administration launched the programme in 2025, arguing that white South Africans faced racial discrimination and persecution. The South African government has rejected that characterisation, while critics have accused Washington of giving preferential treatment to white South Africans.
The programme has since brought thousands of South Africans to the US. Recent reporting indicates that 10,258 refugees were admitted to the US through resettlement programmes during the 2025-26 fiscal year, with all but three being white South Africans.
Cilliers’ death does not by itself establish a connection between the refugee policy and her suicide. However, her family’s account has highlighted the very personal realities that can follow a decision to leave one’s home country and start again thousands of kilometres away.
Family fundraising to bring her home
Yolandé has launched a fundraiser to help cover the costs of travelling to Houston, arranging Cilliers’ cremation and dealing with her remaining affairs.
Her death also highlights the financial difficulties families can face when a loved one dies overseas.
For refugees who have limited resources or whose families remain in South Africa, funeral arrangements, cremation and the possible repatriation of remains can become an additional burden.
Cilliers’ story has therefore become about more than the controversy surrounding the US refugee programme. It is also a reminder that relocating to another country does not necessarily mean leaving behind trauma, loneliness or mental health struggles.
Her death occurred on 8 September, two days before World Suicide Prevention Day, observed annually on 10 September to raise awareness about suicide prevention and encourage people to seek help.
