U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a sharp reduction in refugee admissions for the next fiscal year, capping the number at 7,500, a significant drop from the 125,000 limit set under Joe Biden’s administration.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register on Thursday, priority will be given to white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, and “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”
The move follows Trump’s executive order earlier in January 2025, which temporarily suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programme (USRAP) to, in his words, “prioritise national security and protect American resources.”
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While the document cited “humanitarian concerns” and “national interest” as justification for the new ceiling, no detailed explanation was provided.
In May, Trump publicly criticised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, claiming white farmers in the country were being “killed and persecuted.”
The White House also displayed a video purportedly showing graves of murdered farmers, footage that was later found to depict a 2020 protest rather than recent incidents.
The policy has drawn sharp criticism from human rights and refugee advocacy groups. Global Refuge CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said the decision “lowers America’s moral standing,” arguing that concentrating refugee admissions on a single group undermines the credibility of the programme.
“At a time of crisis in countries ranging from Afghanistan to Sudan and Venezuela, this approach shuts the door on people facing real danger elsewhere,” she said.
The South African government has yet to issue an official response, though Ramaphosa earlier expressed hope that U.S. officials would “listen to South Africans” on the matter.
Story Credit: BBC
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