The Trump administration plans to set a refugee admissions ceiling of 17,500 over the next 12 months, with the programme expected to consist primarily of South Africans from the white Afrikaner minority, according to a notice sent to Congress on Tuesday, 22 September.
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed Afrikaners face persecution based on their race in South Africa, allegations the South African government has denied.
Trump paused U.S. refugee admissions when he took office in January 2025, saying admissions would resume only if they were in the country's best interests. Weeks later, his administration launched an effort to bring Afrikaners to the U.S., drawing criticism from refugee advocates.
The State Department notice said it “anticipates that Afrikaners from South Africa will fully assimilate into the United States in a manner that preserves taxpayer resources for U.S. citizens.”
The proposed admissions ceiling is expected to cost approximately $500 million, according to the notice.
Nearly 3,000 people have been admitted as refugees during the current fiscal year, which ends on 30 September 2026. All but three were South Africans, according to State Department data through August.
By contrast, the Biden administration admitted more than 100,000 refugees from dozens of countries in fiscal year 2024.
President and CEO of Global Refuge, Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, criticised the proposed policy, saying a refugee programme focused on one group would undermine U.S. humanitarian leadership and leave other vulnerable families without support.
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