In a controversial move, U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a significant reduction in the number of refugees admitted to the United States for the current fiscal year, with a focus on prioritizing white South Africans, particularly the Afrikaner minority. Sources indicate that the refugee intake could be slashed to as few as 7,500, a stark contrast to the 125,000 target set during the Biden administration. This shift is part of a broader strategy to address what the U.S. government describes as discrimination and violence against Afrikaners in South Africa, claims that the South African government vehemently denies, labeling them as “completely false” and based on misinformation.
The Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French colonial settlers, have been a focal point of U.S. policy discussions since Trump issued an executive order in February accusing the South African government of rights violations against this minority group. The order directed U.S. agencies to prioritize humanitarian relief and relocation efforts for Afrikaners under the United States Refugee Admissions Program. Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched a fast-track relocation program, which has already seen around 70 white South Africans resettled in the U.S. in May and June.
South African officials have dismissed the claims of persecution, emphasizing that violent crime affects all citizens and that land expropriation laws are aimed at redistributing unused land to poor Black South Africans. Despite these denials, conservative commentators and figures like Elon Musk have amplified the narrative of Afrikaner persecution, further complicating diplomatic relations between the two nations. The U.S. Embassy in South Africa has noted a “sizable volume of submissions” for refugee status, though exact numbers remain undisclosed.