South African authorities have allowed 130 Palestinians into the country after first blocking their entry for not meeting immigration requirements.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) reported that a total of 153 Palestinians landed at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on a chartered Global Airways flight from Kenya. However, officials said the passengers failed to provide clear information about their purpose of visit and did not have the necessary departure stamps in their passports indicating where their journey began.
According to BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato, the situation was resolved after the humanitarian group Gift of the Givers stepped in and agreed to provide temporary accommodation for the travellers, as reported by Reuters. By the time permission was granted, 23 passengers had already continued to other destinations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking on Thursday in Soweto during a clean-up exercise ahead of the upcoming G20 summit, acknowledged that the passengers lacked proper documentation.
“Ordinarily, we would have sent them back,” Ramaphosa said. “But out of compassion, and because Palestinians are a people we have openly supported, we decided to admit them.”
He added that South Africa’s intelligence agencies, along with the Departments of Home Affairs and International Relations, had screened the group.
“We will conduct a full assessment and communicate our findings so South Africans know exactly what is taking place,” he said.
Under current South African regulations, Palestinian passport holders are generally allowed visa-free entry for up to 90 days, provided they meet all immigration criteria.
The incident comes as South Africa continues to be one of the strongest critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the escalation of the Israel–Hamas conflict in October 2023.
