Rabia Iclal Turan
October 31, 2025•Update: October 31, 2025
WASHINGTON
The Trump administration announced the lowest refugee admission ceiling in the country’s history on Thursday, limiting entry to just 7,500 people for the 2026 fiscal year, with priority given to white Afrikaners from South Africa.
In a notice published in the Federal Register, the administration said the “admission of up to 7,500 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year 2026 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.”
It added that “the admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to Executive Order 14204, and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”
Executive Order 14204, issued in February, directs federal agencies to facilitate the resettlement of white South African Afrikaners, described as “victims of unjust racial discrimination,” and to cut US aid to South Africa for its “shocking disregard” of Afrikaners. The South African government has strongly rejected the claims.
The new cap marks a sharp decrease from the 125,000 refugee admissions approved under former President Joe Biden.
