The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to set a refugee admissions ceiling of 17,500 people over the next 12 months, with the majority expected to come from South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority, according to a notice sent to Congress.

The proposal represents a continuation of the administration’s decision to prioritize Afrikaner applicants, while the United States’ broader refugee resettlement program remains substantially restricted compared with previous years. The plan has prompted criticism from refugee advocacy organizations and disagreement between Washington and Pretoria over the treatment of South Africa’s white minority.

Trump administration cuts refugee admissions to record low, gives priority to white South Africans – ABC News

What the proposal includes

According to the notice reported by Reuters, the proposed refugee ceiling is:

Proposed annual refugee ceiling

17,500

Primary intended group

Afrikaners from South Africa

Estimated resettlement cost

$500 million

Status

Proposed ceiling

The State Department notice reportedly states that it anticipates Afrikaners will assimilate into the United States in a way that preserves taxpayer resources for American citizens. The estimated cost of resettlement under the proposed ceiling is approximately $500 million.

The proposal establishes a ceiling rather than confirming that all 17,500 places have already been filled or that every applicant will qualify for refugee status.

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Why Afrikaners are being prioritized

The Trump administration has argued that Afrikaners face racial discrimination and persecution in South Africa. The president has repeatedly cited concerns involving rural crime, land policy and alleged discrimination against white South Africans.

The South African government has rejected the administration’s allegations, disputing the characterization of the country as a place where Afrikaners face systematic racial persecution.

Refugee status under US law is ordinarily based on an individual’s circumstances and eligibility under established protection criteria. The policy debate therefore involves both the administration’s stated justification for prioritizing a particular group and questions about how refugee selection should be administered.

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A sharp change in US refugee admissions

The proposed ceiling follows a major reduction in US refugee admissions under the Trump administration.

The United States suspended refugee admissions after Trump returned to office in January 2025, stating that the program would resume only when considered to be in the national interest. The administration subsequently launched a specific initiative to bring Afrikaners from South Africa to the United States.

According to State Department data cited by Reuters, nearly 3,000 refugees had been admitted during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and all but three were South Africans, based on figures available through August.

That contrasts with fiscal year 2024, when the Biden administration admitted more than 100,000 refugees from multiple countries. The figures cover different policy periods and should not be interpreted as a direct measure of the relative level of humanitarian need among populations.

Criticism from refugee advocates

The proposed focus on Afrikaners has drawn criticism from organizations that support refugee resettlement.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and chief executive of Global Refuge, said that concentrating the program on one group while excluding others fleeing persecution and violence undermines the United States’ humanitarian role.

The criticism centers on whether a refugee program should prioritize people based on a broad group identity or apply a more geographically and nationally diverse approach to applicants facing persecution.

The administration, meanwhile, presents the policy as a response to what it describes as racial discrimination in South Africa and as part of a wider effort to align refugee resettlement with US national interests.

Dispute between Washington and Pretoria

The refugee proposal is part of a wider deterioration in relations between the United States and South Africa.

Washington has criticized South African land legislation, affirmative-action policies and the government’s response to violence affecting farming communities. South African officials have rejected the US administration’s claims of systematic anti-white persecution and have characterized the policy as discriminatory.

The two governments therefore differ not only over refugee admissions but also over the factual interpretation of race, land ownership, public safety and government policy in post-apartheid South Africa.

Key questions surrounding the plan

Independent assessment

The proposal marks a significant shift in the composition of US refugee admissions, with the administration explicitly indicating that one national and ethnic group will make up the majority of the planned intake.

The central disagreement is not simply about the number of refugees the United States will accept. It also concerns how humanitarian protection should be prioritized, what evidence establishes persecution, and whether a refugee program should focus heavily on a particular ethnic population while admissions from other parts of the world remain limited.

The South African government’s rejection of Washington’s allegations and the objections raised by refugee organizations should be considered alongside the Trump administration’s stated rationale. The available reporting confirms the proposed ceiling and its intended focus, but the long-term consequences for the US refugee system and US–South Africa relations will depend on how the policy is implemented.

Sources: Reuters reporting published September 22–23, 2026, and related reporting on the US–South Africa dispute.