Donald Trump's Refugee Overhaul To Favour Whites: Report

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a major overhaul of the country's refugee system, and it may forever change the way people seek and are given refuge on American soil.

Documents obtained by The New York Times suggest the changes would give preference to specific groups, including English speakers, white South Africans, and Europeans who oppose migration.

The changes would shift the decades-old programme, which traditionally prioritised refugees fleeing war, persecution, or life-threatening situations, regardless of race or nationality. 

Earlier this month, Trump planned to slash US refugee admissions from a target of 125,000 last year under the Biden administration to as few as 7,500 in the upcoming fiscal year, according to ABC News.

The refugee slots would be mostly allocated to Afrikaners, the white minority in South Africa, who claimed to face discrimination and race-based violence under the Black-led South African government.

Trump has often said that Afrikaners in South Africa face racial persecution, so this new rule would give them priority in the US refugee admissions. The proposal was presented to the White House in April and July by officials from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security.

The proposed changes to the US refugee programme would focus on how well applicants can fit into American society. Refugees might also be asked to take classes on US history, values, and cultural norms. 

It also recommends giving priority to Europeans who have been "targeted for peaceful expression of views online."

"The sharp increase in diversity has reduced the level of social trust essential for the functioning of a democratic polity. The administration should only welcome refugees who can be fully and appropriately assimilated and are aligned with the president's objectives," according to one of the documents.

Thomas Pigott, a spokesman for the State Department, said, "This administration unapologetically prioritises the interests of the American people."

Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched a new plan to fast-track the relocation of Afrikaner farmers from South Africa to the US. At the same time, the refugee programme for people from other parts of the world was suspended and aimed at prioritising this specific group.

Under this programme, about 70 white South Africans were relocated to the US in two groups in May and June, which officials described as the beginning of the new initiative.