The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting certain South African nationals involved in what it described in “race-based discrimination and incitement of imminent violence”.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Marco Rubio, secretary of state, said the US was “gravely concerned about racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination occurring against the Afrikaners and other minority populations in South Africa”.

Rubio said the concerns included race-based discriminatory legislation, threats of land expropriation without compensation, and incitement of racial violence through dehumanising chants and slogans.

President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly criticised South Africa over an alleged racial inequality targeting Afrikaners, descendants mainly of Dutch and French settlers.

“The United States will not allow such behavior to go unchecked,” Rubio said.

The secretary of state said the South African government had failed to adequately address the US concerns, prompting the visa restrictions.

But South Africa has denied the allegation.

Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s foreign minister, said he noted the announcement with “concern”, describing it as aligned with the “mischaracterisation of South Africa’s domestic policies”.

Nearly all refugees settled in the US since last October were South African.

Trump said resettling Afrikaners in the US would help strengthen national security and public safety.