Trump administration slashes US refugee admissions to historic low of 7,500

Washington: The Trump administration has announced a sharp reduction in the number of refugees allowed into the United States, capping admissions at 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year and prioritising white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners.

Published in the Federal Register on Thursday, the notice marks a dramatic departure from the previous year’s ceiling of 125,000 set under President Joe Biden. The administration cited “humanitarian concerns” and “national interest” as justification, though it offered no detailed rationale or breakdown of other eligible groups.

The decision has drawn widespread criticism from refugee resettlement organisations and human rights advocates, who say it undermines the credibility and purpose of the US refugee programme. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge, called the move “it lowers our moral standing,” warning that concentrating admissions on a single group erodes the programme’s integrity.

The International Refugee Assistance Project, which previously sued over the suspension of refugee admissions, condemned the prioritisation of Afrikaners while thousands of vetted refugees remain stranded in unsafe conditions. Its president, Sharif Aly, accused the administration of politicising a humanitarian programme.

Notably absent from the admissions list are Afghans fleeing Taliban rule following the US withdrawal in 2021. While a separate scheme continues to admit Afghans who worked directly with US forces, tens of thousands of others remain excluded. Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, described the omission as a “horrendous betrayal.”

The refugee cap represents the lowest since the programme’s inception in 1980. During his first term, Trump progressively reduced admissions, reaching a low of 15,000 by 2020. The new ceiling further entrenches a restrictive immigration stance that has reshaped US policy and diminished its role as a global refuge.