While the United States government has suspended its global refugee resettlement program—shattering the dreams of thousands—it has, in a move drawing significant attention, opened a special pathway for white minority groups from South Africa.
This selective approach has invited harsh criticism from international experts.
In January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order halting the refugee resettlement program. As a result, more than 120,000 refugees who had already received preliminary approval—including those from Cameroon and several other nations—were left in a state of uncertainty and hardship, unable to begin their new lives. Despite this strict moratorium, between October 2025 and April 2026, the U.S. accepted over 6,500 individuals from the white South African minority group, with plans to admit an additional 10,000 in May of this year.
The U.S. President justifies this policy by claiming that these individuals are facing “genocide.” However, both the South African government and international experts vehemently reject these allegations. Refugee law specialists emphasize that this policy lacks any humanitarian or diplomatic justification and stands in direct opposition to the principles of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). They argue that this minority group does not fit the profile of refugees fleeing war or imminent mortal danger, unlike the thousands of others who remain in desperate wait for sanctuary.
These changes come at a time when the global need for refugee resettlement has reached over 2.5 million people. Observers warn that such discriminatory policies by the U.S., compounded by reduced intake rates in countries like Canada and the UK, are not only weakening the global refugee system but are also forcing refugees to resort to illegal, clandestine routes—placing lives, especially those of women and children, at risk of exploitation and certain death.