New figures reported on October 15 put South African refugee arrivals in the United States at a record monthly level. September 2026 saw 3,388 arrivals, described as the largest monthly total on record.
Over the full last financial year, the reported total was 16,289 South African arrivals through the programme. Apart from a small number of arrivals from Afghanistan in November 2025, the resettlement figures cited were from South Africa.
The numbers have become part of a wider political debate in both countries about who qualifies for refugee protection and how the programme is being used.
The figures are programme statistics, not a measure of overall migration between the two countries, which also includes ordinary visas, work and family routes.
