White South Africans who come to the United States as refugees could receive up to $4,500 per person in initial federal support beginning Oct. 1, nearly double the current amount, according to four people familiar with the policy change who spoke to The Washington Post. The assistance is intended to help newly arrived refugees cover basic necessities as they begin settling in the country, including housing and food.
The proposed increase would raise the current level of support from roughly $2,400 per person to its highest level to date. Federal funding is generally provided to refugee resettlement organizations, which use the money to help cover newcomers’ initial expenses.
Any funds left over after those costs are covered can be given to the refugees in cash. The Washington Post revealed that its sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information.
South African arrivals have made up nearly all refugee admissions this year
President Donald Trump froze refugee admissions from around the world after taking office in 2025, The Washington Post reported. Weeks later, he launched a program to bring South Africans of European-descended Afrikaner ethnicity into the United States as refugees.
Separate reporting has described plans for 10,000 more arrivals. The boost in taxpayer-funded aid would hypothetically be available to any incoming refugees. But it’s most likely to benefit refugees from South Africa, since South Africans have accounted for more than 99 percent of refugee arrivals this year.
Trump said Afrikaners suffer violent persecution in majority-Black South Africa. Defending his decision to offer Afrikaners refugee status, Trump alleged that a “genocide” was unfolding in South Africa, where white farmers were being “brutally killed,” and their “land is being confiscated.” South Africa’s government has vehemently denied these claims.
The federal aid goes to resettlement groups to pay for housing, food, and other basic needs, the report said. Unspent funds go to the refugee in cash.
Other coverage has said the administration cut HIV aid then eyed crime research. The refugee office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which administers the program, did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
The assistance is meant to help cover basic needs such as housing and food after arrival, the people familiar with the policy indicated. The higher amount is described as taking effect under a new policy starting Oct. 1.
Published: Aug 29, 2026 09:00 am