South Africans express mixed reactions to Palestinian visa rule change

(MENAFN) South Africans expressed divided opinions on Sunday following the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to revoke a 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders. The department cited recent “mysterious” flights from Israel transporting hundreds of Palestinians into the country as the reason for the change.

According to official statements, the exemption was withdrawn after investigations indicated that Israeli actors were deliberately exploiting the 90-day visa privilege for Palestinian ordinary passport holders in connection with so-called “voluntary emigration” efforts for Gaza residents.

Last month, a chartered flight from Israel, which stopped in Kenya, brought 153 Palestinian refugees from Gaza into South Africa. In late October, another flight carried 176 Palestinians.

“Withdrawing the visa exemption is the most effective way to prevent further flights of this nature while ensuring that bona fide travelers from Palestine are safely able to visit South Africa without being subjected to abuse,” the department said, adding that South Africa would not be complicit in any plan to exploit or displace Palestinians from Gaza.

Investigations reportedly suggested that the charter flights were not intended as one-time events but could be part of a broader effort to relocate Palestinians to other countries. The department also stated that it will continue to process asylum applications from travelers arriving on the chartered flights while upholding the 90-day exemption for those not seeking asylum.

Critics, however, view the decision as overly punitive. Roshan Dadoo, coordinator of a South African advocacy coalition, told reports that ending the 90-day visa exemption “is similar to a collective punishment for all Palestinians.”

“We campaigned for a long time to have the 90-day visitor’s visa for Palestinians granted on arrival to be introduced, and we were pleased when the government implemented it,” Dadoo said. She added that she agrees with Home Affairs’ concerns about abuse of the system by Israeli actors but argued that security measures should target the charter flight companies, not all Palestinian travelers.

“Don’t take it out in a way that it’s collective punishment on all Palestinian passport holders, whether they are coming from Gaza or the West Bank. I mean people are coming next week for conferences and visits. You can’t suddenly overnight decide we are going to cancel that visa for all Palestinian passport holders,” she said.

Dadoo also noted that Palestinians in Gaza cannot apply for visas directly, as South Africa’s representative offices are located far away in Ramallah.

Ahmed Jhazbhay, a political science lecturer, criticized the decision as unfairly penalizing a vulnerable population. “South Africans need to strongly condemn the decision by Home Affairs to halt the 90-day visa exemption for Palestinians. This move, reportedly linked to unverified claims about chartered flights, unfairly penalizes an already vulnerable community and fuels xenophobic narratives,” he said, adding that South Africa has a historical and moral responsibility to support oppressed peoples rather than adopt fear-driven policies reminiscent of apartheid-era restrictions.

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