The Trump administration will limit the number of refugees admitted to the US to 7,500 over the next year, giving priority to white South Africans.
This move, announced in a notice published on Thursday, marks a dramatic cut from the previous limit of 125,000 set by former President Joe Biden and will bring the cap to a record low.
No reason was provided for the cut, though the notice indicated it was justified by 'humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.'
In January, Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programme (USRAP), asserting it would allow authorities to prioritize national security and public safety.
The previous lowest refugee admissions cap was established by the initial Trump administration in 2020, which allocated 15,000 slots for fiscal year 2021.
The new notice claims that the 7,500 admissions will primarily go to Afrikaner South Africans and others who face illegal or unjust discrimination in their homelands.
In February, the U.S. president revealed a suspension of critical aid to South Africa and suggested that members of the Afrikaner community could settle in the U.S. as refugees.
South Africa's ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled following accusations that Trump was 'mobilizing a supremacism' narrative and trying to promote 'white victimhood.'
During a tense meeting in the Oval Office in May, Trump asserted that white farmers in South Africa were being killed and 'persecuted,' presenting a video that was later revealed to depict an unrelated protest.
The South African government has staunchly denied claims of persecution against Afrikaners and other White South Africans.
As his first day in office, Trump expressed the need to adjust U.S. refugee policies citing the country's inability to absorb large numbers of migrants without compromising resources for American citizens.
This new policy has drawn allegations of bias from refugee advocacy groups, arguing that it undermines the integrity of the refugee admissions program, particularly neglecting other persecuted communities worldwide.
Global Refuge CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah stated that the decision diminishes the moral credibility of the U.S. during a time of crisis for many vulnerable populations globally.
Furthermore, Refugees International condemned the action as a mockery of refugee protections and American values, emphasizing that Afrikaners do not meet the criteria for refugee status based on systematic persecution.
The South African government has yet to respond to the new announcements, although President Ramaphosa reiterated his hope for Trump's administration to recognize the true situation in South Africa.
This current policy is likely to continue shaping discussions around immigration and racial dynamics in the U.S. moving forward.
