US claims emergency refugee situation' as it admits 10,000 more white South Africans

The US government will increase refugee admissions for white South Africans from about 7,500 to 17,500 for the year ending in September, citing an emergency refugee situation caused by unforeseen developments in South Africa. The increase follows repeated false claims by Donald Trump that Afrikaners face racial targeting and “white genocide,” which South Africa’s government has rebutted. The US has also cut aid to South Africa, boycotted the G20 summit in Johannesburg, and disinvited South Africa from the next G20 in Miami. The US began admitting white South Africans as refugees in May 2025 while suspending refugee settlement for people fleeing war and persecution in countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan. The State Department cited South Africa’s rhetoric and a December raid on a US refugee processing centre as unacceptable, while South Africa defended the raid as deporting illegal workers.

"The US government has said it will increase the number of white South Africans it admits as refugees this year from about 7,500 to 17,500, claiming that unforeseen developments in South Africa created an emergency refugee situation. Since starting his second term in office last year, Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims that white Afrikaners are racially targeted and face a white genocide, which South Africa's government has furiously rebutted."

"His administration also cut aid to South Africa, boycotted the G20 summit in Johannesburg last year and disinvited South Africa from this year's G20, which will be held at one of Trump's resorts in Miami. The US began admitting white South Africans as refugees in May 2025, while suspending the refugee settlement programme for people fleeing war and persecution in countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan."

"On Monday, the US state department sent Congress an emergency notice, stating that it would take up to 17,500 Afrikaners as refugees in the year ending in September. In October, the government had said it would admit just 7,500 refugees in total, mainly white South Africans. It said the cost of resettling 10,000 more white South Africans would be about $100m (75m), according to the Associated Press, which saw a copy of the notice."

"The state department said the South African government's rhetoric across multiple ministries and political parties has sought to undermine the US resettlement program and attacked Afrikaners. It also cited a South African raid of a US refugee processing centre in December, which the US government said at the time was unacceptable. South Africa's government defended the action, saying that it had deported seven Kenyans who were working illegally in the country without permits."

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