US President Donald Trump has increased the US refugee admissions ceiling by 10 000 for this year to allow more white South Africans into the country under an expanded Afrikaner-focused resettlement programme.

US President Donald Trump ‌increased the refugee admissions ⁠ceiling by 10 000 for this year ⁠to allow more white South Africans to come into the country, a signed presidential determination reviewed by Reuters showed.

The ‌document, dated 21 May, said white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity face an emergency ‌due to ‘incitement of racially motivated violence’ by the government and political parties in the majority-Black country.

The White House ⁠did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump, a Republican, froze refugee admissions from around the world when he took office in January 2025, but weeks later launched a programme exclusively aimed at bringing in white South Africans.

He initially set the refugee ⁠ceiling at a record-low 7 500 for fiscal year 2026, which ends on 30 September. But his administration has already brought ⁠in 6 000 white South Africans through the end of April, government figures show.

READ | US plans to take in 10 000 more Afrikaner asylum-seekers as arrivals near current limit

Trump’s decision to increase the number ⁠of refugee admissions brings the total ceiling ‌to 17 500.

Reuters first reported the planned expansion of the refugee programme in April.

SA rejects persecution claims

South African foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, in response to a Reuters request for comment, rejected the assertion that European-descended Afrikaners face danger and discrimination.

“The assertion that white Afrikaners, in particular, endure systemic persecution is entirely without foundation,” Phiri told Reuters in a ‌statement.

The White House document did ⁠not list specific examples of South Africa’s government allegedly inciting racial violence.

A State Department spokesperson declined to confirm the 10 000-person increase to the refugee cap but said the programme was a Trump priority and that the president would determine refugee levels.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information.