The Trump administration wants more white South African refugees.
Image: Marco Longari / AFP
The Trump administration is advocating for an increase in the number of white South African refugees allowed into the United States for the 2026 fiscal year, as outlined in a recent emergency determination sent to Congress.
The document, obtained and reviewed by CNN, proposed raising the refugee cap to 17,500.
This follows an initial restriction that slashed the annual refugee ceiling to 7,500, down from a previous 125,000, while specifically prioritising white South Africans and excluding other vulnerable global populations.
The proposed shift follows growing diplomatic friction between Washington and Pretoria. While the administration points to "grave humanitarian concerns" for Afrikaners, the South African government has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted violence, maintaining that no such crisis existed.
The increase of 17,500 refugees is being pushed according to an emergency determination that had been sent to Congress.
President Trump justified the resettling of Afrikaners within the US due to the “genocide” allegedly taking place in South Africa.
He stated: “White farmers are being brutally killed and their land confiscated."
However, there has been no evidence to prove these claims, and during a visit to the Oval Office last year, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa explained that this was indeed not true.
According to CNN, the emergency determination cited remarks from Ramaphosa and an incident last year where the South African government questioned US personnel on assignment in the country.
“This escalating hostility heightens the risks to Afrikaners in South Africa, who are already subject to far-reaching government-sponsored race-based discrimination.
“For these reasons, a revised ceiling of 17,500 is justified by grave humanitarian concerns and in the national interest as detailed in E.O. 14204 and will further the U.S. foreign policy interests described in that order,” part of the report quoted by CNN.
According to US Law, the administration must first consult with Congress on the annual refugee ceiling.
The White House and State Department have yet to comment.