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Business Insider
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Trump refugee plan prioritises white South Africans while others face stricter US entry rules
The Trump administration is weighing a refugee admissions cap of 40,000 for the coming fiscal year, with 30,000 spaces reserved for Afrikaners, a Dutch-descended minority in South Africa, according to U.S. officials and internal government communications reviewed by Reuters. The Trump administration is considering setting a refugee admissions cap of 40,000 for the upcoming fiscal year This proposal which focuses on resettling Afrikaners from South Africa signifies a shift in U.S. refugee policy Analysts express concern that this policy adjustment may imply racial bias and overlook the pressing needs of other refugees globally. The plan marks a sharp departure from decades of U.S. refugee policy, which traditionally had bipartisan support and prioritised vulnerable groups fleeing war, persecution, and famine. By contrast, the Trump initiative focuses heavily on resettling white South Africans, a group the president has argued faces 'racial discrimination and violence' - claims the South African government has repeatedly rejected. Angie Salazar, a top refugee program official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told state-level refugee workers that she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to a summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. Two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that of this number, about 30,000 slots would be devoted to Afrikaners. A separate source familiar with the discussions said a cap as low as 12,000 had also been floated. In addition to Afrikaners, the administration is weighing limited resettlement for Afghans who aided U.S. forces in the Middle-East conflicts and possibly Ukrainians, leaving only a small number of slots unallocated for other nationalities. A break with precedent The 40,000-person cap represents a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees admitted under President Joe Biden in 2024, with the highest number of entrants coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (18,145). During the Obama era, the U.S. admitted roughly 2,500–3,500 refugees annually from the DRC and 3,000–4,500 from Sudan/South Sudan, according to the U.S. Refugee Council. However, the proposed cap is still higher than the record-low 15,000 ceiling set by Trump in fiscal year 2021 before leaving office. The current plan prioritizes 30,000 of these spaces for Afrikaners, a white minority group from South Africa, marking a significant shift in U.S. refugee policy. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly defended the process, insisting that 'no decisions were final' until Trump decides in October. 'President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States,' Kelly said. 'Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation.' She added. So far, refugee resettlement in the US has been limited. The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, with only 34 more admitted as of early August, according to a White House official. Concerns of racial bias Analysts warn that the heavy allocation for Afrikaners could reinforce perceptions of racial bias in U.S. refugee policy, especially given that 37 million people worldwide are currently displaced and that African nations host some of the largest refugee populations globally. Gaza freeze and visa costs deepen access gap The refugee plan comes alongside a U.S. decision to suspend all visitor visas for Gazans, a measure that aid agencies say will block patients in urgent need of medical evacuation. At the same time, Washington has introduced a controversial $250 visa integrity fee that applies to most African nations but not to European or Asian countries included in the Visa Waiver Program. Tourism and business leaders across Africa have warned that the new fee risks shutting out thousands of students, entrepreneurs, and travellers, while deepening perceptions of unfair treatment. Africa sidelined Taken together, the refugee allocation, the Gaza visa freeze, and the new visa surcharge point to a widening gap in U.S.–Africa engagement. While white South Africans may benefit from new resettlement pathways, millions of Black Africans remain effectively excluded, either by financial hurdles or by limited refugee quotas.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Trump administration weighing refugee cap of 40,000 with focus on white South Africans
By Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is discussing a refugee admissions cap of around 40,000 for the coming year with a majority allocated to white South Africans, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter and an internal refugee program email, reflecting a major shift in the U.S. approach to refugees. Angie Salazar, the top refugee program official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told state-level refugee workers that she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to an email summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some 30,000 of the 40,000 spaces would be devoted to Afrikaners, a largely Dutch-descended minority in South Africa that Trump has prioritized for resettlement. Trump's focus on resettling Afrikaners could upend the precedent around the refugee program, which for decades had bipartisan support. The 40,000-person cap would be a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees brought in by former President Joe Biden in fiscal year 2024, but higher than the record-low 15,000 person ceiling Trump set for fiscal 2021 before ending his first term. A separate person familiar with the matter said that in addition to the 40,000 figure, a cap as low as 12,000 had also been discussed. There are 37 million refugees worldwide, according to a United Nations estimate. Trump immediately froze refugee admissions after taking office in January, but weeks later launched a program for Afrikaners, saying the white minority group suffered racial discrimination and violence in majority-Black South Africa, claims that were rejected by South Africa's government. The Trump administration has wrestled internally over whether non-white South Africans could qualify for the refugee program, Reuters reported in July. In addition to Afrikaners, the Trump administration expects to bring in some Afghans who aided the U.S. government during the conflict in Afghanistan and is weighing whether to resettle Ukrainians, the email said. Some spaces would remain unallocated to potentially be filled by other nationalities, the email and officials said. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stressed that no decisions were final until Trump issued his determination for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. "President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States," Kelly said. "Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation." A senior State Department official pointed to the department's recent human rights report, which raised concerns about "inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities" in South Africa. HHS referred questions related to the refugee cap to the White House. Salazar did not respond to requests for comment. The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, but only 34 more had come as of early August, a White House official said. The U.S. State Department laid off many refugee program staffers in major workforce reductions in July. To compensate for the fired staff, workers from HHS who normally deal with domestic refugee assistance have been reassigned to the South Africa program, one of the officials said. Thirteen HHS staffers were dispatched to Pretoria on Monday even though the majority had no direct experience screening refugees, the official said. An HHS spokesperson said that trained staff had been detailed to support refugee resettlement but that they were not conducting interviews to determine whether a refugee had experienced persecution. INITIAL STRUGGLES Some South Africans now in the U.S. with refugee status have reached out to HHS to raise concerns about a lack of benefits to support them, one of the U.S. officials said. Trump slashed refugee benefits after taking office, including reducing cash assistance and healthcare benefits that normally last a year to four months. One of the initial group of 59 South Africans brought into the U.S. in mid-May sent an email to HHS' refugee office two weeks later pleading for help getting a Social Security number and access to a work permit. The person, who went to Missoula, Montana, said their family had spent thousands of dollars to cover expenses. 'We have applied for jobs like crazy but to no avail because we found people here are not keen on hiring refugees without an SSN,' one of the family members wrote in a May 27 email to the HHS refugee program reviewed by Reuters. 'We have spent about $4000 on Uber, food, Cellphone SIM Cards which don't work.' The person was concerned the family would not be able to find housing after a government-funded hotel stay ended in early June. Reuters could not reach the family. The HHS spokesperson said the agency takes complaints seriously and that refugees placed in temporary housing receive support for essential needs, including food. A person familiar with the matter said some South Africans arrived in the U.S. expecting standard refugee benefits that had been paused or reduced by Trump. Solve the daily Crossword
The Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
US weighs refugee cap of 40,000 with most spots for Afrikaners
US President Donald Trump's administration is discussing a refugee admissions cap of about 40,000 for the coming year with most allocated to white South Africans, according to two US officials briefed on the matter and an internal refugee programme email, reflecting a major shift in the US approach to refugees. Angie Salazar, the top refugee programme official at the US health and human services department (HHS), told state-level refugee workers she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to an email summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said about 30,000 of the 40,000 spaces would be reserved for Afrikaners. The 40,000-person cap would be a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees brought in by former president Joe Biden in 2024 fiscal year, but higher than the record-low 15,000 person ceiling Trump set for fiscal 2021 before ending his first term. A separate person familiar with the matter said that in addition to the 40,000 figure a cap as low as 12,000 had also been discussed. There are 37-million refugees worldwide, according to a UN estimate. Trump immediately froze refugee admissions after taking office in January, but weeks later launched a programme for Afrikaners, saying the white minority group suffered racial discrimination and violence in majority-black South Africa, claims rejected by South Africa's government. The Trump administration also expects to bring in some Afghans who aided the US government during the conflict in Afghanistan and is weighing whether to resettle Ukrainians, the email said. Some spaces would remain unallocated to potentially be filled by other nationalities, the email and officials said. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stressed that no decisions were final until Trump issued his determination for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins on October 1. 'President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the US,' Kelly said. 'Refugee admission caps will be determined next month and any numbers discussed now are pure speculation.' A senior state department official pointed to the department's recent human rights report, which raised concerns about 'inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities' in South Africa. The HHS referred questions related to the refugee cap to the White House. Salazar did not respond to requests for comment. The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, but only 34 more had arrived by early August, a White House official said. The state department laid off many refugee programme staffers in major workforce reductions in July. To compensate for the fired staff, workers from the HHS who normally deal with domestic refugee assistance have been reassigned to the South Africa programme, one of the officials said. Thirteen HHS staffers were dispatched to Pretoria on Monday though most had no direct experience screening refugees, the official said. An HHS spokesperson said trained staff had been detailed to support refugee resettlement but that they were not conducting interviews to determine whether a refugee had experienced persecution. Some South Africans now in the US with refugee status have reached out to the HHS to raise concerns about a lack of benefits to support them, one of the US officials said. Trump slashed refugee benefits after taking office, including reducing cash assistance and healthcare benefits that normally last a year to four months. One of the initial group of 59 South Africans brought into the US in mid-May sent an email to the HHS' refugee office two weeks later pleading for help getting a social security number (SSN) and access to a work permit. The person, who went to Missoula, Montana, said their family had spent thousands of dollars to cover expenses. 'We have applied for jobs like crazy but to no avail because we found people here are not keen on hiring refugees without an SSN,' one of the family members wrote in a May 27 email to the HHS refugee programme reviewed by Reuters. 'We have spent about $4,000 [R70,307] on Uber, food, cellphone SIM cards which don't work.' The person was concerned the family would not be able to find housing after a government-funded hotel stay ended in early June. Reuters could not reach the family. The HHS spokesperson said the agency takes complaints seriously and refugees placed in temporary housing receive support for essential needs, including food. A person familiar with the matter said some South Africans arrived in the US expecting standard refugee benefits that had been paused or reduced by Trump. Reuters
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Trump refugee plan mulls reserving 30,000 spots for white South Africans
Trump administration discusses bringing in 30,000 Afrikaners Total US refugee admissions reduced under Trump South African arrivals face initial financial challenges WASHINGTON, Aug 15 — US President Donald Trump's administration is discussing a refugee admissions cap of around 40,000 for the coming year with a majority allocated to white South Africans, according to two US officials briefed on the matter and an internal refugee program email, reflecting a major shift in the US approach to refugees. Angie Salazar, the top refugee program official at the US Department of Health and Human Services, told state-level refugee workers that she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to an email summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some 30,000 of the 40,000 spaces would be devoted to Afrikaners, a largely Dutch-descended minority in South Africa that Trump has prioritized for resettlement. Trump's focus on resettling Afrikaners could upend the precedent around the refugee program, which for decades had bipartisan support. The 40,000-person cap would be a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees brought in by former President Joe Biden in fiscal year 2024, but higher than the record-low 15,000 person ceiling Trump set for fiscal 2021 before ending his first term. A separate person familiar with the matter said that in addition to the 40,000 figure, a cap as low as 12,000 had also been discussed. There are 37 million refugees worldwide, according to a United Nations estimate. Trump immediately froze refugee admissions after taking office in January, but weeks later launched a program for Afrikaners, saying the white minority group suffered racial discrimination and violence in majority-Black South Africa, claims that were rejected by South Africa's government. The Trump administration has wrestled internally over whether non-white South Africans could qualify for the refugee program, Reuters reported in July. In addition to Afrikaners, the Trump administration expects to bring in some Afghans who aided the US government during the conflict in Afghanistan and is weighing whether to resettle Ukrainians, the email said. Some spaces would remain unallocated to potentially be filled by other nationalities, the email and officials said. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stressed that no decisions were final until Trump issued his determination for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. 'President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States,' Kelly said. 'Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation.' A senior State Department official pointed to the department's recent human rights report, which raised concerns about 'inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities' in South Africa. HHS referred questions related to the refugee cap to the White House. Salazar did not respond to requests for comment. The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, but only 34 more had come as of early August, a White House official said. The US State Department laid off many refugee program staffers in major workforce reductions in July. To compensate for the fired staff, workers from HHS who normally deal with domestic refugee assistance have been reassigned to the South Africa program, one of the officials said. Thirteen HHS staffers were dispatched to Pretoria on Monday even though the majority had no direct experience screening refugees, the official said. An HHS spokesperson said that trained staff had been detailed to support refugee resettlement but that they were not conducting interviews to determine whether a refugee had experienced persecution. Initial struggles Some South Africans now in the US with refugee status have reached out to HHS to raise concerns about a lack of benefits to support them, one of the US officials said. Trump slashed refugee benefits after taking office, including reducing cash assistance and healthcare benefits that normally last a year to four months. One of the initial group of 59 South Africans brought into the US in mid-May sent an email to HHS' refugee office two weeks later pleading for help getting a Social Security number and access to a work permit. The person, who went to Missoula, Montana, said their family had spent thousands of dollars to cover expenses. 'We have applied for jobs like crazy but to no avail because we found people here are not keen on hiring refugees without an SSN,' one of the family members wrote in a May 27 email to the HHS refugee program reviewed by Reuters. 'We have spent about US$4000 on Uber, food, Cellphone SIM Cards which don't work.' The person was concerned the family would not be able to find housing after a government-funded hotel stay ended in early June. Reuters could not reach the family. The HHS spokesperson said the agency takes complaints seriously and that refugees placed in temporary housing receive support for essential needs, including food. A person familiar with the matter said some South Africans arrived in the US expecting standard refugee benefits that had been paused or reduced by Trump. — Reuters
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump administration weighing refugee cap of 40,000 with focus on white South Africans: Reuters exclusive
U.S. President Donald Trump meets South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is discussing a refugee admissions cap of around 40,000 for the coming year with a majority allocated to white South Africans, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter and an internal refugee program email, reflecting a major shift in the U.S. approach to refugees. Angie Salazar, the top refugee program official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told state-level refugee workers that she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to an email summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some 30,000 of the 40,000 spaces would be devoted to Afrikaners, a largely Dutch-descended minority in South Africa that Trump has prioritized for resettlement. Trump's focus on resettling Afrikaners could upend the precedent around the refugee program, which for decades had bipartisan support. The 40,000-person cap would be a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees brought in by former president Joe Biden in fiscal year 2024, but higher than the record-low 15,000 person ceiling Trump set for fiscal 2021 before ending his first term. A separate person familiar with the matter said that in addition to the 40,000 figure, a cap as low as 12,000 had also been discussed. There are 37 million refugees worldwide, according to a United Nations estimate. Trump immediately froze refugee admissions after taking office in January, but weeks later launched a program for Afrikaners, saying the white minority group suffered racial discrimination and violence in majority-Black South Africa, claims that were rejected by South Africa's government. The Trump administration has wrestled internally over whether non-white South Africans could qualify for the refugee program, Reuters reported in July. In addition to Afrikaners, the Trump administration expects to bring in some Afghans who aided the U.S. government during the conflict in Afghanistan and is weighing whether to resettle Ukrainians, the email said. Some spaces would remain unallocated to potentially be filled by other nationalities, the email and officials said. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stressed that no decisions were final until Trump issued his determination for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. 'President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States,' Kelly said. 'Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation.' A senior State Department official pointed to the department's recent human rights report, which raised concerns about 'inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities' in South Africa. HHS referred questions related to the refugee cap to the White House. Salazar did not respond to requests for comment. The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, but only 34 more had come as of early August, a White House official said. The U.S. State Department laid off many refugee program staffers in major workforce reductions in July. To compensate for the fired staff, workers from HHS who normally deal with domestic refugee assistance have been reassigned to the South Africa program, one of the officials said. Thirteen HHS staffers were dispatched to Pretoria on Monday even though the majority had no direct experience screening refugees, the official said. An HHS spokesperson said that trained staff had been detailed to support refugee resettlement but that they were not conducting interviews to determine whether a refugee had experienced persecution. Initial struggles Some South Africans now in the U.S. with refugee status have reached out to HHS to raise concerns about a lack of benefits to support them, one of the U.S. officials said. Trump slashed refugee benefits after taking office, including reducing cash assistance and healthcare benefits that normally last a year to four months. One of the initial group of 59 South Africans brought into the U.S. in mid-May sent an email to HHS' refugee office two weeks later pleading for help getting a Social Security number and access to a work permit. The person, who went to Missoula, Montana, said their family had spent thousands of dollars to cover expenses. 'We have applied for jobs like crazy but to no avail because we found people here are not keen on hiring refugees without an SSN,' one of the family members wrote in a May 27 email to the HHS refugee program reviewed by Reuters. 'We have spent about $4000 on Uber, food, Cellphone SIM Cards which don't work.' The person was concerned the family would not be able to find housing after a government-funded hotel stay ended in early June. Reuters could not reach the family. The HHS spokesperson said the agency takes complaints seriously and that refugees placed in temporary housing receive support for essential needs, including food. A person familiar with the matter said some South Africans arrived in the U.S. expecting standard refugee benefits that had been paused or reduced by Trump. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jeff Mason in Washington, and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Tim Cocks in Johannesburg; Editing by Mary Milliken, Ross Colvin and Michael Learmonth, Reuters
