The US raises its refugee admissions ceiling.

US President Donald Trump is believed to have increased the refugee intake quota by 10,000 this year, aiming to facilitate the arrival of Afrikaners (white South Africans of European descent) who wish to enter the United States.

After taking office for his second term in January 2025, President Donald Trump quickly "froze" the refugee program from around the world . However, just weeks later, the White House launched a separate program to facilitate the immigration of white South Africans to the United States.

This program prioritizes accepting white refugees while rejecting thousands of applications from Africa, Asia, and other regions. This move is seen as part of a broader effort to challenge humanitarian norms regarding refugee protection.

The first group of white South Africans granted refugee status are processing their paperwork at Dulles International Airport in Virginia (USA). Photo: Reuters

According to US government figures, the Trump administration has only accepted three non-South African refugees this year, but had accepted 6,000 white South Africans as of the end of April.

A State Department spokesperson declined to confirm reports of increasing the quota by 10,000 people, but said the program is a priority for President Donald Trump. Initially, President Trump set the refugee quota at a record low of 7,500 for fiscal year 2026, which ends on September 30.

According to a document signed by President Donald Trump, white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity are facing a state of emergency due to "racially motivated violence" in the predominantly black nation.

South African Foreign Office spokesman Chrispin Phiri rejected claims that Afrikaners are facing danger and discrimination.

"The information that Afrikaners are suffering systematic repression is completely unfounded," Chrispin Phiri asserted.

According to the 2022 census data, Black people make up 81% of South Africa's population, while Afrikaners and other white South African communities account for only 7%.

Tensions surrounding the US refugee program erupted in December 2025 when South African authorities raided a Johannesburg facility processing asylum applications for Afrikaners. However, following diplomatic exchanges, the South African government confirmed the program would be allowed to continue.

(According to Reuters)

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