US Considering Increasing Refugee Admissions to Welcome More South Africans, Social Media Debates
- United States officials are considering increasing the refugee admissions cap to allow for more South Africans to enter the country
- Donald Trump has previously prioritised white Afrikaners as refugees amid claims of racial persecution in South Africa
- Social media users weighed in on the possibility, with some expressing concern about what it would mean for the country
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
WASHINGTON, DC – The United States of America is considering expanding the refugee admission cap to allow more South Africans into the country in the future.
The Donald Trump administration had prioritised white Afrikaners for the refugee programme ever since the US President claimed that terrible things were happening in South Africa. Since then, individuals from other races have also been accepted, as the programme has been opened to any member of a racial minority in South Africa.
The US admitted approximately 4,500 South Africans as refugees through the first six months of the current fiscal year, with the only other refugees allowed into the country being three Afghans.
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Trump administration considering increasing the number of refugees
Currently, the refugee programme allows for 7,500 to enter per fiscal year, but US officials have discussed increasing that number in recent weeks. News24 reported that people familiar with planning noted discussions about increasing that number by at least 10,000.
A US State Department spokesperson addressed the matter but did not confirm or deny that discussions were taking place.
"If the president decides to raise the financial year 2026 refugee admissions cap, he will do so at the appropriate time, and any numbers discussed at this point are only speculation," the spokesperson for the State Department said.
According to data from the US Department of State's Bureau of Population, nearly 5,000 South Africans have resettled across 48 US states since Trump opened up the programme.
Why were Afrikaners prioritised?
In October 2025, the Trump administration slashed the previous cap of 125,000 refugees a year to just 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year. The US President also announced that the 7,500 spots would not be for any refugees but only those 'fleeing persecution’ in South Africa.
Trump has continuously claimed that terrible things were happening in the country, alleging that a white genocide was taking place. The US President has maintained that Afrikaners were being killed, and their lands taken away. This narrative has been pushed by Elon Musk and others on social media, resulting in thousands of people applying to live in America. In February and March 2026, more than 2,000 South Africans resettled in the US.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know about claims made against South Africa
- The FW De Klerk Foundation has rubbished Donald Trump's claims about racial discrimination.
- Donald Trump deleted a tweet claiming that South Africa was a dangerous place.
- The US State Department has explained why it is unhappy with South Africa at the moment.
- The US President offered citizenship to farmers and their families if they don’t feel safe in South Africa.
- Elon Musk claimed on X that the media weren’t reporting on the genocide in South Africa.
- Trump claimed that South Africa had a policy of exterminating people, which is why he would not attend the G20.
Social media discusses potential increase
Social media users weighed in on the possibility that more South Africans could be accepted into the US. While some welcomed it, others discussed how it would impact South Africa.
@sukoluhle0101 said:
“Remember when 'extreme vetting' was the standard for everyone else? Now we’re fast-tracking a path to citizenship for a group that didn't even meet the UN definition of genocide. If the skin colour were different, the wall would be 50 feet higher. Everyone sees the play.”
@LLB_hard82389 stated:
“The more Afrikaners leave, the more black people will face poverty for generations to come. Fracturing as a nation will only increase poverty in our future. Encouraging citizens to leave is dangerous.”
@sportsafrica agreed:
“They are on a mission to destroy South Africa. The South African farmers are good. Black or white farmers need to be protected. The dumbest thing a government can do is not to look after the very people who put food on our table. Again, let me be clear, black and white farmers.”
@Philemon16 said:
“What the racist Trump doesn’t know is that there’s no better place than home.”
@Dee0015_ suggested:
“This won’t end well. Democrats will gain power and reverse this. Afrikaners are going to be stranded with no country to call home.”
Trump doubles down on white genocide in South Africa claims
Briefly News also reported that Trump maintained that there’s a white genocide taking place in South Africa, insisting that it needs to be stopped.
The President of the United States has previously falsely stated that a section of the population was being persecuted in the country.
He even offered South Africans refuge in the US if they felt that they were being persecuted in the country.
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Source: Briefly News
