United States President Donald Trump has signed a presidential determination increasing the refugee admissions cap largely for white South Africans by 10,000.
The decision raises the refugee ceiling from 7,500 to 17,500 for the current fiscal year, which runs until September 30.
The move follows an emergency declaration issued by the US State Department to Congress last week, requesting that the number of South African refugees allowed into the country be more than doubled.
US Expands Refugee Admissions For Afrikaners
South African refugees, most of them Afrikaners, are currently being processed into the United States, while many asylum seekers from other parts of the world continue to face restrictions.
Reuters first reported the presidential determination, citing a May 21 document which stated that white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity faced an emergency due to the incitement of racially motivated violence by the government and political parties in the majority black nation.
A notice published on the US Embassy website in Pretoria states that the refugee programme is open to Afrikaners and other minority groups. However, it remains unclear whether the presidential determination specifically referred to additional racial groups.
South African Government Rejects Trump Claims
South African authorities have strongly dismissed the claims made by the United States, describing the narrative as deeply flawed.
The government has also defended Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policies, maintaining that they remain a constitutional imperative aimed at addressing historical inequalities in the country.
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The developments continue to draw international attention as diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria remain in focus.
