Connecticut is seeing low numbers of refugees entering the U.S. this fiscal year — and all of them are coming from South Africa. From November to June, 89 refugees arrived in Connecticut from South Africa. Nationally, 7,730 refugees entered the U.S. during the same time period: 7,727 from South Africa and three from Afghanistan.

Refugee Admissions Program Changes

The country of origin and the number of refugees entering the country has changed since President Donald Trump took office. Connecticut used to welcome refugees from dozens of countries each year, with high numbers coming from Syria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Now, only South African refugees are entering the state.

Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in January 2025, so from February to August of last year, zero refugees were admitted to the state. But in late 2025, Trump enacted policies giving preference to English speakers and white people, according to reporting from the New York Times.

Today, only South African refugees are entering the state — even though none settled in Connecticut from 2012 to 2024. Most years, there were no South African refugees entering any state nationwide.

Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, or IRIS, a New Haven-based nonprofit, made the decision not to resettle refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, according to reporting by the Hartford Courant. This is the first time in four decades IRIS has not worked to resettle refugees in the state.

In 2024, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide hit the highest number ever seen, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Former president Joe Biden, in consultation with congress, set a refugee admissions goal of 125,000 for the fiscal year.

While there are still fewer refugees entering the country compared to past years, Trump raised the refugee cap in May to accommodate more white South Africans.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.