In a Monday report submitted to Congress, first reported by CNN, the State Department proposed lifting the 7,500 refugee cap to 17,500, with the additional 10,000 spots reserved for Afrikaners, a group of white South Africans who descend from Dutch settlers.The Trump administration argued in the report that “unforeseen developments in South Africa created an emergency refugee situation.”
“This escalating hostility heightens the risks to Afrikaners in South Africa, who are already subject to far-reaching government-sponsored race-based discrimination,” the refugee proposal said.
The State Department said the additional refugees will cost roughly $100 million, according to the report. The administration is required to consult Congress about refugee levels each fiscal year. Administration officials are set to meet with Congress regarding these changes later this week, according to the Associated Press.
Trump dramatically lowered the number of refugees from the Biden administration’s 2024 cap of 125,000 to 7,500. Most of the refugee slots under the Trump administration were reserved for Afrikaners and other South African minorities before the proposed increase.
Trump has long argued that Afrikaners face racial persecution, but South African officials strongly disagree. In February 2025, Trump released a statement highlighting the supposed “egregious actions” of South Africa, alleging that the government seized ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.
