Legal Framework

1951 Refugee Convention — Article 3

Requires states to apply refugee protections without discrimination based on race, religion, or country of origin. This non-discrimination principle is fundamental to the equal treatment of all refugees.

Related incidents

2 incidents

White Afrikaner Refugee Program: 1,648 of 1,651 US Refugees Are White South Africans

The US refugee program was restructured to almost exclusively admit white South Africans based on debunked persecution claims, while setting a historic-low refugee cap and shutting down admissions for …

  • From October 2025 through January 2026, the US admitted 1,651 refugees. Of these, 1,648 — 99.8% — were from South Africa, overwhelmingly …
  • Trump set the FY2026 refugee ceiling at 7,500, the lowest in modern US history, with most places reserved for white South Africans. This …

Expanded Travel Ban Targeting Up to 39 Countries, Predominantly Muslim and African Nations

A sweeping expansion of travel restrictions targeting predominantly Muslim-majority and African nations, growing from the original first-term ban to cover 39 countries. The bans affect millions of …

  • On June 4, 2025, Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry from 12 countries (Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, …
  • In December 2025, the ban was expanded to fully restrict entry from 7 additional countries: Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, …