Trump could give refugee status in US to Britons opposed to immigration

Donald Trump could offer political asylum in the US to Brits and other Europeans who oppose mass migration as part of an overhaul of the American refugee system. The US President has launched a major crackdown on entry into the country since returning to the White House, suspending new admissions on his first day in office and announcing ambitious plans to cut the number of refugees allowed in each year from 125,000 to 75,00.

Reforms to the country's asylum system could include a priority of Europeans who have been "targeted for peaceful expressions of views online, such as opposition to mass migration or support for 'populist' political parties," sources told The New York Times. Those hoping to be awarded American citizenship would also have to demonstrate "respect for cultural norms" and take classes on "American history and values", it was suggested. It comes after US Vice President JD Vance criticised Germany for political exclusion of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

"The sharp increase in diversity [in the US] has reduced the level of social trust essential for the functioning of a democratic polity," a document published by the NYT read. It added that the administration should only admit "refugees who can be fully and appropriately assimilate, and are aligned with the president's objectives."

Mr Trump claimed that Europe was being "invaded" by "illegal aliens" in an address at the United Nations (UN) last month, echoing rhetoric he has also applied to his own country, while accusing the UN's aid programs for asylum seekers of "funding an assault on western countries and their borders".

"Europe is in serious trouble. They have been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody's ever seen before," he said. "Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe and nobody's doing anything to change it."

Mr Trump's administration have been monitoring the political landscape in Europe to inform the eligibility of citizens to refugee status, a senior official alleged.

The President has already offered priority asylum status to Afrikaners, white South Africans who make up around 4% of the country's population and whose ancestors once ran its brutal apartheid regime.

He claimed that they are facing racial persecution in South Africa, a suggestion that has been disputed by government officials and police statistics.

The last few months have also seen Mr Trump enact America's largest-ever deportation scheme, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents carrying out aggressive and indiscriminate raids in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta.