South Africa revokes 90-day visa exemption for Palestinians amid systemic abuse allegations

Due to instances of systemic abuse, South Africa has moved to drop its 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders.

The decision follows investigations by local authorities that found certain opportunists had latched onto the exemption for purposes other than its original intent.

Typically, short-term visas are issued by countries due to various benefits, such as economic advantages (tourism, business, investment), improved diplomatic ties, and enhanced cultural exchange.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Department of Home Affairs, led by Dr Leon Schreiber, said: “Following investigations and recommendations by national intelligence structures and consultations conducted within the Security Cluster – which confirmed the deliberate and ongoing abuse of the 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian ordinary passport holders by Israeli actors linked to ‘voluntary emigration’ efforts for residents of the Gaza Strip – the department has withdrawn the exemption.”

The department's standpoint stemmed from investigations into the recent arrival of two charter flights carrying Palestinian passport holders, which revealed systematic abuse of the exemption, with travel designed not for tourism or short stays as intended but to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.

Schreiber clarified that intermediaries organised the flights, not the passengers. Many travellers, he stated, held one-way tickets to South Africa and were barred from bringing luggage, allowed only to carry US dollars and essential items.

Upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, officials found that many passengers lacked departure verification and accommodation details, and did not possess return or onward tickets.

“Taken together, this constituted clear abuse of the exemption by external actors for purposes other than its intended use,” Schreiber stated.

He added that the sequence of events amounted to “abuse of the passengers themselves,” as organisers seemed willing to leave travellers destitute upon arrival. He noted that most of the group reportedly did not wish to claim asylum in South Africa, leaving civil society organisations to step in to support them.

Schreiber mentioned that investigations also indicated the charter flights were not intended as one-off events. Authorities are investigating whether they are part of a broader effort to relocate Palestinians globally.

This includes reports that a Dubai-based broker, with offices in South Africa, recently sought bulk quotations for additional charter flights “as soon as possible.”

This follows an incident where a group of 153 Palestinians was initially denied entry at OR Tambo last month due to missing documentation, including exit stamps from Israel, return tickets, and accommodation details.

After nearly 12 hours at the airport, they were admitted under the visa exemption on humanitarian grounds, following intervention by local aid groups.

IOL News previously reported that the South African government and intelligence services launched a joint investigation into the travellers’ arrival.

Authorities are examining whether a shadowy organisation known as Al-Majd Europe coordinated the movement as part of a broader campaign of “forced migration” involving vulnerable Palestinians. Charter operator Global Airways confirmed that this was not the first such flight.

On October 28, 2025, it operated a similar charter from Nairobi to Johannesburg, carrying Palestinian passengers who were admitted under the same visa exemption without incident.

South Africa has long positioned itself as a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, even taking Israel to the International Court of Justice over alleged violations in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Schreiber stated that following the withdrawal of the visa exemption, the department would process any asylum applications submitted by the travellers who arrived on the two charter flights, while upholding the terms of the 90-day admission for those not seeking asylum.

“Going forward, visa applications from bona fide Palestinian travellers will be processed accordingly, while any further attempts at abuse will be rejected.”

Schreiber added that when the most recent charter flight landed, President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that the travellers may have been “flushed out of Gaza,” and subsequent investigations confirmed this.

“Withdrawing the visa exemption is the most effective way to prevent further flights of this nature while ensuring that bona fide travellers from Palestine can safely visit South Africa without being subjected to abuse.”

“South Africa will not be complicit in any scheme to exploit or displace Palestinians from Gaza,” he concluded.