Emergency Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026

Memorandum for the Secretary of State[,] the Secretary of Homeland Security[, and] the Secretary of Health and Human Services

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, in accordance with section 207(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)(8 U.S.C. 1157(b)), and after appropriate consultations with the Congress, I have determined that, subsequent to the signing of Presidential Determination 2025-13 of September 30, 2025 (Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026) (PD 2025-13), an unforeseen emergency refugee situation now exists due to recent increases in the incitement of racially motivated violence on the part of the Government of South Africa and leaders of prominent political parties in South Africa, as well as new disruptions of United States Refugee Admissions Program operations in South Africa. I hereby determine that the admission to the United States of Afrikaners from South Africa in response to this emergency is justified by the grave humanitarian concerns and is otherwise in the national interest, that the admission of these refugees cannot be accomplished under the refugee ceiling of 7,500 for Fiscal Year 2026 as authorized in PD 2025-13, and that an increase in the ceiling to 17,500 is warranted.

The additional admissions shall be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa, consistent with the directives in Executive Order 14204.

Refugee admissions under this determination, which may reach but not exceed the numerical limit described herein, are in all respects subject to the requirements of other Presidential policies and actions, whether issued prior or subsequent to this determination. Those Presidential policies and actions include, but are not limited to: Executive Order 14161, which mandates that refugees receive the most stringent identification verification of any class of alien seeking admission or entry to the United States; Executive Order 14163, which suspends the entry into the United States of refugees other than when the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security jointly determine that an admission is in the national interest and does not threaten the security and welfare of the United States; Executive Order 14204, which provides for refugee resettlement of Afrikaners from South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination; and Proclamation 10998 which restricts the entry of certain foreign nationals whose admission would be detrimental to the national interest.

In accordance with section 101(a)(42)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 110l(a)(42)(B)), and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I specify that, for Fiscal Year 2026, Afrikaners from South Africa processed consistent with the directives in Executive Order 14204, may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence.

The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register.