(Washington) The Trump administration announced on Thursday (October 30) a significant reduction in the number of refugees accepted annually to a record low, prioritizing the intake of white South Africans.
Under the new policy, the U.S. will accept 7,500 refugees in fiscal year 2026, far fewer than the more than 100,000 accepted annually during former President Biden's administration. The majority of those accepted will be white South Africans and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective countries.
Since taking office in January, Trump has halted refugee admissions but has kept the door open to white South Africans, despite the South African government's insistence that whites have not suffered persecution in South Africa. The first group of approximately 50 white South Africans arrived in the U.S. in May to begin their new lives.
During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to deport millions of illegal immigrants and signed an executive order in January suspending the U.S. refugee admission program.
Melnick, a senior fellow at the U.S. Immigration Council, said that since 1980, more than two million people fleeing persecution have entered the U.S. through this program, and now it has become a pathway for white immigrants, which is regrettable for U.S. international humanitarian programs.
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