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Trump poised to expand refugee program for white South Africans: Report
Officials are weighing a 10,000-person increase as about 5,000 South Africans, mostly Afrikaners, have already been resettled this year.
- On Thursday, Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Veprek confirmed the administration is considering raising the current 7,500 refugee ceiling by adding roughly 10,000 slots to prioritize South African Afrikaners.
- President Donald Trump previously lowered the annual refugee cap to 7,500 from 125,000, explicitly prioritizing white South Africans whom he portrays as victims of race-based persecution despite South Africa's government vehemently denying these claims.
- State Department figures show about 4,500 South Africans were admitted in the first six months of the fiscal year, with 99.9% of all refugees accepted since October 2025 coming from South Africa; only three were from other nations.
- Internal government emails reveal at least four refugees have returned to South Africa shortly after arrival, with case notes citing incomplete planning or family illness as reasons, raising concerns about program integrity.
- Officials are debating whether to include religious minorities from Iran and former Soviet countries under the 'Lautenberg' program, which was originally created in 1989 to assist Jewish refugees seeking resettlement.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Trump considers major expansion of refugee program for white South...
President Donald Trump's administration is considering more than doubling an annual refugee limit to bring more white South Africans into the US, according to three people familiar with the matter. Trump, a Republican, paused refugee admissions from around the world when he took office in January 2025. Weeks later, he issued an executive order prioritizingthe resettlement of European-descended Afrikaners, saying they faced race-based persecutio…
President Donald Trump is considering expanding the refugee reception program to bring more white South Africans to the US.
Trump administration considers dramatic increase in US refugee cap for white Afrikaners
US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering more than doubling an annual refugee limit to bring more white South Africans into the US, according to three people familiar with the matter.
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