WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move that marks a sharp departure from decades of U.S. refugee policy, the Trump administration has set the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2026 at just 7,500—the lowest in U.S. history—and signalled that the majority of those slots will be allocated to white South African Afrikaners.
According to a Federal Register notice, the small number of refugee admissions will be “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.” Notably, the notice identifies “Afrikaners from South Africa” as a priority group.
The administration’s decision comes amid broader efforts to dramatically reduce U.S. refugee admissions from around the world—even as millions remain displaced. Under the previous Joe Biden administration, the ceiling stood at 125,000 for the previous year.
The policy represents a reversal of the longstanding humanitarian principle of “need-based” resettlement. Humanitarian and refugee-advocacy organisations have attacked the move as a politicisation of the refugee system, arguing that it privileges a wealthy white minority from South Africa over far larger populations in conflict-zones who have been vetted and approved for years.
The rationale provided by the White House emphasises alleged racial persecution of Afrikaners by South Africa’s Black-led government—an allegation that Pretoria rejects. South Africa’s foreign ministry states that no data supports the notion that white South Africans are being targeted for race-based persecution.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration fast-tracked the arrival of groups of white South Africans—59 Afrikaners arrived on a charter flight under the programme—and simultaneously suspended refugee streams from other countries.
Critics note the ethical and practical implications: diverting scarce refugee-slots to a demographic that is already economically advantaged in its home country, while thousands of still-vetted refugees from crisis-zones remain stuck in limbo. +1
As the policy takes effect, resettlement agencies face difficult choices. Some have refused to participate, claiming the programme undermines racial justice and the principle of impartial humanitarian protection.
With the ceiling set and the preferential category defined, the U.S. refugee system appears to be entering a new era—one that proponents say focuses on national interest and perceived ethnic discrimination, but which opponents warn may erode America’s longstanding role as a refuge for the most persecuted.
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