The Donald Trump administration announced a historic reduction in U.S. refugee admissions on Thursday, setting the cap for fiscal year 2026 at 7,500, citing “humanitarian concerns or … the national interest.”
This sharply contrasts with the approximately 125,000 refugees admitted under the Joe Biden administration in 2024.
Crucially, the notice states that the admissions will be “primarily allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa … and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”
This explicit prioritisation of white South Africans — a minority group that ruled the country during apartheid — has triggered wide condemnation.
Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive order denouncing what his administration calls “unjust racial discrimination” against Afrikaners and linking the U.S. willingness to resettle them to broader aid restrictions on South Africa.
In May, the U.S. welcomed its first cohort of white South African “refugees” under the fast-track scheme. Refugee advocates and legal experts argue the policy reverses decades of U.S. refugee tradition, undermines bipartisan support, and raises racial justice concerns. “It effectively gives preference to a largely white minority while shutting out the vast majority of vulnerable refugees worldwide,” said one critic.
For the U.S., the move signals a major shift — both in the number of admissions and in the criteria for who qualifies. Whether it withstands legal and diplomatic challenge remains to be seen.
Key Details
- Admissions cap for FY 2026: 7,500 — lowest ever.
- Primary group prioritised: Afrikaner white South Africans.
- Previous cap under Biden: ~125,000.
- Advocacy groups contend this reverses the U.S.’s longstanding global refugee leadership.
- South Africa’s government rejects claims of systematic persecution of whites.
This policy shift may redefine both U.S. refugee resettlement and bilateral relations with South Africa in the years ahead.