Trump Sets Refugee Admissions to Historic Low of 7,500, Focusing on White South Africans

Politics

Trump Sets Refugee Admissions to Historic Low of 7,500, Focusing on White South Africans

1 month ago

News sources:

SCMP

SFGATE

ALJAZEERA 2

LEMONDE

MIDDLEEASTEYE

CHANNELNEWSASIA

ABCNEWS

Trump Sets Refugee Admissions to Historic Low of 7,500, Focusing on White South Africans

Credited from: ABCNEWS

Trump caps annual refugee admissions at 7,500, the lowest in US history.
Focus is primarily on white South Africans, igniting controversy.
The new policy sharply contrasts with the previous cap of 125,000 set by Biden.
Humanitarian groups criticize the discriminatory nature of the new guidelines.
This caps a significant retrenchment in America's immigration policy under Trump.

The Trump administration has announced a sharp reduction in the number of refugees permitted entry into the United States, setting the new annual cap at just 7,500 for the fiscal year 2026. This marks a historical low since the implementation of the US Refugee Act in 1980, which initially set a cap of 50,000. The current cap stands in stark contrast to the 125,000 refugees allowed by the Biden administration in the previous fiscal year, according to SCMP and Channel News Asia.

The new policy explicitly prioritizes white Afrikaners from South Africa, citing claims of race-based persecution, a characterization strongly rejected by the South African government. The memo detailing this policy indicates that the majority of the 7,500 slots will be allocated to "Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to Executive Order 14204" and other groups deemed victims of "illegal or unjust discrimination," as reported by Al Jazeera and ABC News.

SFGate and Middle East Eye.

The new refugee limit coincides with a broader trend of tightening immigration policies under Trump, who previously suspended the program upon taking office. It notably excludes many vulnerable groups, such as Afghans seeking refuge after the US withdrawal, leaving previously approved refugees in limbo. Critically, Trump's focus on white South Africans raises questions about the motivations behind such a policy shift, as he and his administration allege widespread discrimination against this group while ignoring others facing dire circumstances globally, as pointed out by Le Monde and Al Jazeera.

This hardline stance has drawn parallels to historic US immigration policies that favored certain ethnic groups while excluding others, revealing a return to exclusionary practices that many believed had been left behind. Experts argue that the policy reflects a significant ideological departure from the US's traditional role as a refuge for those fleeing persecution and destabilizes decades of bipartisan support for refugee resettlement, as highlighted by Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera.