The Trump administration is reportedly considering limiting refugee admissions to roughly 40,000 people for fiscal year 2026, and a significant portion of them could be white South Africans, Reuters reported Friday.
Two U.S. officials familiar with the discussions, along with an internal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) email, indicate that up to 30,000 of the spots could go to Afrikaners, according to Reuters. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has drawn attention to the violence and discrimination faced by the minority group of predominantly Dutch descent in South Africa.
“Outlets like Reuters have long covered the persecution of Afrikaners, who have endured unspeakable horrors, including rape, murder, and other violent crimes while their government has abandoned them,” White House press secretary Anna Kelly told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States. Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation.”
In May, Trump signed an executive order promoting the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping race-based discrimination and violence in their country, whose harrowing testimonies have been documented by the Daily Caller.
Trump’s order accuses the South African government of showing “disregard” for the rights of its citizens through “countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.”
A top refugee program official at the HHS reportedly informed state-level refugee coordinators that a 40,000-person cap was expected for fiscal year 2026, Reuters reported. The potential limit is a sharp decrease from the 100,000 refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden in fiscal year 2024.
During a May White House meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump warned of a potential “genocide” against them and played a video montage highlighting discrimination and violent attacks against Afrikaners.
The first group of 59 Afrikaner refugees arrived in May, with 34 more arriving by early August, according to Reuters. Some refugee advocacy groups, including the Episcopal Migration Services, decided to end their partnership with the federal government after Trump began promoting Afrikaner resettlement.
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