At least 29 US citizens have applied for humanitarian protection in Australia in the first six months since Donald Trump began his second presidency, according to Department of Home Affairs figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws.
The number of asylum applications from Americans has risen steadily since Trump’s inauguration on 20 January, albeit from a low base. Fewer than five applications were lodged between February and April, but the figure rose to five in May, seven in June and 14 in July, with a total of between 29 and 38 lodgments over six months. By contrast, fewer than five US citizens applied in each of the final six months of 2024.
Jana Favero, deputy chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, said the centre had seen an increase in calls from US citizens seeking advice on claiming protection, citing “increasing attacks on human rights in the United States, and in particular the targeting of the LGBTIQ+ community”. The home affairs data does not specify reasons for the applications; to be granted refugee status, applicants must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.
No protection visas were granted to US citizens between January and July 2025, though applications can take months or years to be finalised. Professor Daniel Ghezelbash of the University of New South Wales noted that decisions are based on the risk of persecution at the time of assessment, meaning recent applications would be evaluated under Trump’s presidency.
US citizens make up less than 1% of the roughly 2,000 monthly subclass 866 visa applications, and overall only about one in six such applications results in a visa being granted. Australia is not alone in seeing a rise: Canada received 245 US refugee claims in the first half of 2025, and Ireland has also recorded a sharp increase since Trump’s election.
