The Department of Home Affairs has announced the withdrawal of the 90-day visa-free entry for Palestinian nationals holding ordinary passports. According to the department, the decision follows findings by national intelligence agencies of deliberate and sustained misuse of the exemption, which prompted a recommendation for its cancellation.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has stated that South Africa will not be complicit in any scheme to exploit or displace Palestinians from Gaza.
Schreiber said that when a recent charter flight carrying Palestinian passengers landed at OR Tambo International Airport, President Cyril Ramaphosa raised concerns that the travellers may have been forcibly removed from Gaza.
He stated, “Subsequent investigations have confirmed this to be the case. 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.”
However, the move has sparked concern among activists, who argue that the policy change unfairly targets Palestinians and does not address the broader issues of injustice in the region.
Roshan Dadoo, Coordinator of the SA BDS Coalition, said:
“The PSC has campaigned for years to enable Palestinians to have the 90-day visitor visa on arrival, which aligns their rights with those of Israeli passport holders who continue to enjoy the same privilege. We were very pleased when the government finally introduced this some years back. However, to withdraw it temporarily in the manner in which the Ministry of Home Affairs has done is punishing Palestinians, particularly citing the arrival of two flights on 28 October and 13 November. These flights were clearly part of Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing, facilitated by a questionable organisation, Al Majd, preying on people who have endured years of conflict and suffering in Gaza.”
Listen to the full interview with Roshan Dadoo below:
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Photo: Supplied/GOTG
