Cape Town – South Africa has withdrawn its 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders after investigations revealed that two recent charter flights carrying Palestinians were part of an organised effort to relocate people from Gaza, rather than ordinary short-term travel.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said a Dubai-based broker had requested quotes for multiple additional charter flights, confirming that the arrivals were not a once-off event.
Authorities found that the visa exemption was being systematically abused, with passengers arriving on one-way tickets, without luggage, accommodation plans, or onward travel arrangements.
Schreiber pulls Palestinian visa exemption amid 153-passenger entry irregularities
The government of South Africa has revoked the 90-day visa-exemption previously granted to holders of ordinary Palestinian passports, following what officials say was a deliberate abuse of the… pic.twitter.com/TgXCMdqhaj
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Many also lacked proper departure verification from Gaza.
“Withdrawing the visa exemption is the most effective way to prevent further flights of this nature, while ensuring that bona fide travellers from Palestine are safely able to visit South Africa without being subjected to abuse,” Schreiber said in a statement.
“South Africa will not be complicit in any scheme to exploit or displace Palestinians from Gaza.”
According to Schreiber, external actors — described as “Israeli actors” in investigations — arranged these flights and left passengers vulnerable and destitute upon their arrival in South Africa.
Most travellers did not want to apply for asylum, and humanitarian group Gift of the Givers had to step in to assist.
The government says the exemption was withdrawn to prevent further exploitation, while ensuring genuine Palestinian travellers can still apply for visas.
Existing travellers who arrived on the charter flights will have their asylum applications processed, and those not seeking asylum will still benefit from the remaining terms of the original 90-day stay.
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Source: AFP
