World Relief Decries Historically Low Refugee Ceiling, Abandonment of Those Fleeing Religious Persecution

Leading Christian global humanitarian organization deploys staff and community partners to assess and alleviate critical needs

Contact: Lauren Rasmussen, media@wr.org, 802.310.4255

Baltimore, Md. – Today, the Trump administration posted a Fiscal Year 2026 Presidential Determination for Refugee Resettlement to the Federal Register with a historically low ceiling of 7,500. The determination makes a primary focus on one group, Afrikaners from South Africa, whose alleged experience of “discrimination” is notably lower than the legal standard. The determination is likely to exclude persecuted Christians, other religious minorities and various other refugees with serious concerns for their lives.

“This is a heartbreaking day,” said World Relief president & CEO Myal Greene. “At a time when there are more refugees globally than ever in recorded history, when Christians and others face horrific persecution on account of their faith, the U.S. will do less than ever to offer refuge. In the process, we harm our standing in the world and our own economic vitality. What’s more, a myopic focus on Afrikaners means that individuals who are at much greater risk — including persecuted Christians and others fleeing religious persecution from places like Nigeria, Iran and Burma; advocates for democracy and human rights living under totalitarian regimes; and Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s brutal war — will be effectively abandoned.”

Under the authority of the Refugee Act of 1980, the president has the authority and responsibility to set a refugee ceiling — the maximum number of refugees who could be admitted — after consulting with specific congressional leaders. It is not clear if these consultations have occurred. The Refugee Act also clearly spells out the legal standard to be classified as a refugee, “a well-founded fear of persecution,” a higher standard than the experience of “discrimination” that today’s determination purports to set as a new standard with its primary focus on Afrikaners from South Africa.

Many of the president’s evangelical and Catholic supporters have urged him to utilize the refugee determination to prioritize those persecuted on account of their religious belief. In Fiscal Year 2020, President Trump became the first president to specifically prioritize persecuted religious minorities in his annual refugee determination, and in his recent address to the United Nations he affirmed that Christians, in particular, face severe persecution in many parts of the world. Earlier this year, a Christian Statement on Refugee Resettlement highlighting the plight of those fleeing religious persecution garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

In May, leaders of Christian organizations, including the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Open Doors US and Global Christian Relief, sent a letter to the president, noting that, “One of the most essential tools the United States has historically used to uphold religious freedom is the U.S. refugee resettlement program… Throughout history, in both Republican and Democratic administrations, refugee resettlement has offered a lifeline to those escaping religious oppression, from Soviet Jews to Iraqi Yezidis to Christians in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Burma and other countries that persecute followers of Jesus. It is critical that our nation continue to provide refuge to those whose lives are at risk because of their faith…”

In Fiscal Year 2024, a report coproduced by World Relief and Open Doors US found that 29,493 Christian refugees were resettled to the U.S. from the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Since late January when the president suspended the refugee resettlement program, the number of persecuted Christians resettled to the United States has been very near to zero — and a sole focus on Afrikaners going forward would effectively shut the door for those fleeing religious persecution.

Past refugee ceilings have been as high as 231,700 under President Jimmy Carter, 140,000 under President Ronald Reagan and 142,000 under President George H.W. Bush. In 2021, President Biden upset many religious freedom and refugee advocates, including World Relief, by initially resetting the refugee ceiling at the then-historic low of 15,000. After significant advocacy, President Biden reset the refugee ceiling to 62,500.

“Now is the moment for those who want our country to continue to stand with the persecuted to once again raise their voices, as so many did four years ago,” said Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We urge Christians and all those who advocate for refugees to reach out to the White House and to their members of Congress, pleading with them to reconsider this decision and to once again stand with persecuted Christians and others who qualify under the terms of U.S. law.”

World Relief has easy-to-use advocacy tools available at www.worldrelief.org/advocate, and it also has resources for churches marking this Sunday’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church to pray for our leaders and that our country would recommit ourselves to standing with the persecuted.