President Donald Trump’s administration has reduced the number of refugees to be admitted into the United States from 125,000 to 7,500, giving priority to White South Africans.

The U.S. Federal Register on its website on Thursday said, “The admissions of up to 7,500 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year 2026 are justified by humanitarian concerns or are otherwise in the national interest.

“The admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to Executive Order 14204, and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”

This move marks the lowest record of refugee admissions into the U.S., with over 117,000 fewer allowed than under former President Joe Biden’s administration. 

In February, Mr Trump suspended aid to South Africa over allegations that White South African farmers were being persecuted and killed. Mr Trump offered the Afrikaners relocation to the U.S. as refugees.

Aside from expelling South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, Mr Trump, in a meeting at the Oval Office in May, challenged President Cyril Ramaphosa over claims that White farmers were targeted and killed in South Africa.