The 2026 refugee admissions ceiling is 7,500, reduced from previous levels, and Afrikaners are prioritized over other groups under humanitarian or national-interest criteria.

The policy shift toward prioritizing Afrikaners is presented as a humanitarian and national-interest justification but has sparked debate over fairness and implications for asylum programs.

South Africa’s crime statistics do not show whites face disproportionately higher violent crime than other groups.

Earlier in the year, Trump offered refugee status to Afrikaners after South Africa allowed land seizures without compensation in some cases.

Public reaction in South Africa has been mixed, including a high-profile open letter from Afrikaners rejecting emigration, while some groups advocate asylum for crime victims or discriminatory policies.

In May, 59 white South Africans were granted asylum in the United States, illustrating limited but notable admissions amid ongoing debate.

South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled after accusing Trump of promoting supremacism and white victimhood.

The refugee policy specifically singled out Afrikaners as a target group, raising concerns about fairness in asylum allocations.

Trump has characterized a so-called ‘white genocide’ against Afrikaners in South Africa, a claim South Africa’s government and many observers deem unsubstantiated.

White farmland ownership in South Africa remains concentrated among white South Africans, who constitute about 7% of the population.

There were misidentifications and misleading videos used by the White House to back the claim of attacks on white farmers, with Reuters and others noting discrepancies.

Afriforum, a major Afrikaner lobby, acknowledged safety concerns for whites and noted some Afrikaners facing violence could seek asylum, while stopping short of labeling farm murders as genocide.

Afriforum stressed that the refugee offer should not be framed as recognizing genocide and emphasized victim-focused asylum for those affected by farm attacks.

Afriforum reaffirmed safety concerns for white South Africans and indicated that some victims of violence may pursue asylum, but it does not classify farm murders as genocide.

The U.S. set a refugee cap of 7,500 for the coming year, the lowest on record.

The article included accompanying images and noted that statements come from South African officials and advocacy groups.

In a May Oval Office encounter, Trump claimed white farmers were being killed and displayed body bags later identified by Reuters as not from South Africa.

The exact number of white South Africans admitted under the U.S. scheme has not been publicly disclosed.

The United States announced a 7,500 refugee cap for the 2026 budget year, with Afrikaners given preferential treatment under humanitarian or national-interest justifications.

South Africa publicly challenged the U.S. refugee policy shift that prioritizes Afrikaners, calling the premise factually inaccurate and arguing the program is flawed and bypasses constitutional processes.

Diplomatic ties between South Africa and the United States have grown tense, with Trump halting financial aid and slapping high tariffs on South African exports as part of broader frictions.