JOHANNESBURG (CONVERSEER) – The government of South Africa has revoked the 90-day visa-exemption previously granted to holders of ordinary Palestinian passports, following what officials say was a deliberate abuse of the system.
The decision comes after the arrival last month of 153 Palestinians in Johannesburg on a chartered flight from Kenya.
The charter flight landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport on 13 November 2025, carrying passengers who reportedly lacked key travel documentations including exit stamps from Israel, onward or return tickets, and full accommodation or destination details. At first, the group was denied entry and held on the plane for some 12 hours.
Initially, parts of the group were eventually allowed to enter on humanitarian grounds after intervention by a local aid organisation.
However, a joint investigation by immigration authorities, national intelligence and South Africa’s security cluster concluded the flight was not a normal tourist charter. Instead, they determined it was part of a “systematic abuse” of the visa-waiver regime allegedly orchestrated by intermediaries working with Israeli-linked actors to relocate Palestinians from Gaza under the guise of short-term travel.
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As a result, Department of Home Affairs, led by Minister Leon Schreiber, announced the withdrawal of the visa waiver for Palestinian passport holders, saying any future applications will be treated as standard visa requests especially for short-stay or tourist travel.
In a statement, Schreiber said the decision was necessary to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable people, adding that many of the recent arrivals had one-way tickets, were not permitted luggage and were offered only minimal personal items raising concerns they might be left destitute upon arrival.
With the waiver rescinded, bona fide Palestinian travellers will now need to apply for visas under regular procedures a significant policy shift that underscores growing scrutiny over forced or irregular migration.
