South Africa cancels Palestinian visa waiver, citing Israeli ‘emigration’ efforts

South Africa cancelled visa exemptions for Palestinians following an investigation into a mysterious charter flight that brought dozens of people from Gaza into the country without proper documentation last month.

In a statement, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said investigations had 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 controversy began in mid-November, when 153 men, women and children arrived in Johannesburg on a flight from Nairobi. They were held on the aircraft for more than 12 hours because their passports did not carry Israeli exit stamps.