The Trump administration is considering increasing the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling by up to 10,000 for the 2026 fiscal year, primarily to admit more white South Africans, according to a report obtained by Reuters. The current proposed cap stands at 7,500 refugees annually, but internal discussions suggest expanding it significantly to prioritize Afrikaner descendants under claims of racial persecution. President Donald Trump has consistently asserted that white farmers in South Africa, particularly Afrikaners, face targeted violence and land seizures due to their race. These claims have been rejected by the South African government and multiple domestic organizations, including Afrikaner groups, which dispute the narrative of systemic racial targeting. Afrikaners constitute about 60% of South Africa's white population, which represents approximately 7.2% of the national populace. During the first half of the fiscal year, the U.S. admitted around 4,500 South Africans as refugees, far outpacing other nationalities, with only three Afghans approved under the same programme. An internal U.S. government email reviewed by Reuters indicates that at least four of the South African refugees have already returned to their home country. This development comes despite evidence that thousands of white South Africans living overseas have chosen to return to South Africa in recent years, contradicting the portrayal of the country as uniquely hostile to whites. The proposed expansion would mark a significant shift in refugee policy, directing a disproportionate share of admissions toward a specific ethnic group from a middle-income country not experiencing war or widespread state collapse.
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