Key facts
- The Trump administration plans to set a refugee admissions ceiling of 17,500 for the next 12 months.
- The proposed ceiling primarily consists of South Africans from the white Afrikaner ethnic minority.
- U.S. President Donald Trump claims Afrikaners face persecution based on their race in South Africa.
- The South African government has denied claims of persecution against Afrikaners.
- The resettlement is expected to cost approximately $500 million.
- In the current fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, nearly 3,000 refugees were admitted, with all but three being South Africans.
The Trump administration intends to establish a refugee admissions ceiling of 17,500 for the upcoming 12 months, with a specific focus on individuals from South Africa's white Afrikaner ethnic minority. This proposal was communicated to Congress via a notice sent by the State Department.
President Donald Trump has asserted that Afrikaners are subjected to persecution based on their race in the predominantly Black nation, assertions that the South African government has refuted. The administration's notice suggests that Afrikaners are expected to integrate into the U.S. in a way that conserves taxpayer funds for American citizens. The estimated cost for resettling refugees under this proposed ceiling is approximately $500 million.
Data from the State Department indicates that in the current fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, nearly 3,000 individuals were admitted as refugees, with the vast majority being South Africans. This contrasts with the Biden administration's intake of over 100,000 refugees from numerous countries in fiscal year 2024.
Refugee advocates have voiced criticism, with Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, stating that a program prioritizing one group over all others signifies an abdication of global humanitarian leadership and an abandonment of vulnerable families.