The Trump administration plans to admit up to 17,500 refugees into the United States over the next 12 months, with the programme expected to consist primarily of white Afrikaners from South Africa, according to a notice sent to Congress.
The proposed refugee ceiling marks a continuation of President Donald Trump’s policy of prioritising Afrikaners for resettlement while sharply restricting refugee admissions from most other parts of the world.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Afrikaners face racial persecution in majority-Black South Africa. The South African government has rejected those allegations.
According to the State Department notice sent to congressional officials on Tuesday, the administration expects Afrikaner refugees to “fully assimilate into the United States” while limiting costs to American taxpayers.
The proposed resettlement programme is expected to cost about $500 million.
Trump suspended most US refugee admissions after returning to office in January 2025, saying the programme would resume only when considered to be in the country’s interests. His administration later created a pathway for Afrikaners seeking refugee status in the United States.
The policy has drawn criticism from refugee advocacy organisations, which argue that Washington is giving preferential treatment to one group while restricting access for people fleeing wars, political repression and other forms of persecution elsewhere.
Nearly all of the roughly 3,000 refugees admitted to the United States during the current fiscal year through August were South Africans, according to State Department figures cited by Reuters. Only three came from other countries.
The numbers represent a major shift from the previous administration. More than 100,000 refugees from dozens of countries were admitted during fiscal year 2024 under former President Joe Biden.
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of refugee assistance organisation Global Refuge, criticised the proposal, saying a programme focused overwhelmingly on one group would leave thousands of other vulnerable families without access to US resettlement.
The new ceiling would govern refugee admissions over the next 12 months and significantly expand the administration’s existing programme for Afrikaners.
