Online Reporter
WASHINGTON. – Just three months after the first group of White South Africans arrived in the United States under a special refugee programme, the Trump administration is now preparing to cap total refugee admissions at around 40 000 for 2026.
Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said approximately 30 000 of those spots would be allocated to Afrikaners, a Dutch-descended minority in South Africa that President Trump has publicly prioritised for resettlement.
The proposed limit would mark a major shift in US refugee policy. It is a significant drop from the 100 000 refugees admitted during President Joe Biden’s final year in office, although higher than the 15 000-person ceiling Trump set in 2021 before leaving office.
After returning to the White House in January, Trump temporarily froze refugee admissions.
Weeks later, he launched a programme specifically for Afrikaners, claiming the group faces racial discrimination and even the threat of genocide in majority-black South Africa.
The South African government has strongly rejected those claims. Officials there have accused Trump of politicising immigration policy and spreading misinformation.
If enacted, the cap would significantly reshape the US refugee program and likely spark new debate over immigration priorities and racial bias. – africanews
