President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 prioritizing the resettlement of Afrikaners. The executive order stated that Afrikaners face government-sponsored race-based discrimination in South Africa, including the seizure of farms owned by White South Africans. Afrikaners are an ethnic group in South Africa descended mainly from Dutch, German, and French colonial settlers. South African leaders deny that Afrikaners have been subjected to systemic persecution.

The shift in admissions priorities resulted in changes for other nationalities. The U.S. admitted zero refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026. People from the Democratic Republic of the Congo made up the largest share of refugees admitted to the U.S. every year from fiscal 2016 through fiscal 2024.

The U.S. admitted three refugees from Afghanistan in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026. Refugees from Afghanistan accounted for nearly 18% of all refugees admitted to the U.S. in fiscal year 2025.

Why It Matters

The concentration of refugee admissions from a single country marks a departure from recent historical patterns. For nearly a decade, the Democratic Republic of the Congo consistently provided the largest number of refugees to the United States. The current policy directs the majority of available slots to a specific ethnic group based on an executive determination of persecution, a claim disputed by the government of the source country.

Public opinion on refugee resettlement shows divided views on the importance of accepting those fleeing violence. In a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 36% of U.S. adults said it was extremely or very important for the U.S. to take in refugees from countries where people are trying to escape violence. Another 39% said it was somewhat important, while 24% said it was not too or not at all important.

Timeline

On Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush temporarily halted refugee application processing after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. During his first term, which began in 2017, President Donald Trump temporarily froze refugee resettlements and banned entry by refugees from some Muslim-majority countries. After taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden raised the refugee admissions ceiling to its highest level in the 21st century.

In fiscal year 2024, which began in October 2023, the U.S. admitted 100,034 refugees. Fiscal year 2025, beginning in October 2024, was the first year the U.S. admitted more than one or two refugees from South Africa. During that same fiscal year, refugees from Afghanistan accounted for nearly 18% of all refugees admitted to the U.S. with a total of 38,102 refugees admitted. In calendar year 2025, the U.S. resettled about 11,500 refugees.

What's New

Later reporting indicates that the U.S. admitted zero refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026. The official record states that the refugee ceiling for Fiscal Year 2026 was increased from 7,500 to 17,500 for Afrikaners from South Africa, as stated in the Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 2026).

Additional data from a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey shows that 36% of U.S. adults said it was extremely or very important for the U.S. to take in refugees from countries where people are trying to escape violence. The same survey found that 39% of U.S. adults said it was somewhat important for the U.S. to take in refugees from countries where people are trying to escape violence. Furthermore, 24% of U.S. adults said it was not too or not at all important for the U.S. to take in refugees from countries where people are trying to escape violence.

South African leaders deny that Afrikaners have been subjected to systemic persecution. The U.S. admitted three refugees from Afghanistan in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026. A study titled Missionary travels and researches in South Africa / was published in 1899 in J. Murray eBooks.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the details regarding refugee admissions from South Africa. Govinfo.gov states that the official record states that the refugee ceiling for Fiscal Year 2026 was increased from 7,500 to 17,500 for Afrikaners from South Africa, as stated in the Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 2026). The U.S. Department of State Refugee Processing Center, Refugee Admissions Report states that refugees from South Africa accounted for nearly all U.S. refugee admissions in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2026.

Sources also differ on the characterization of the situation for Afrikaners in South Africa. Govinfo.gov states that the official record states that the refugee ceiling for Fiscal Year 2026 was increased from 7,500 to 17,500 for Afrikaners from South Africa, as stated in the Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 2026). The Executive Order on Prioritizing Resettlement of Afrikaners states that the executive order stated that Afrikaners face government-sponsored race-based discrimination in South Africa, including the seizure of farms owned by White South Africans.