Home Affairs Minister Leon Shreiber said investigations found that the arrival of charter flights carrying Palestinians was not intended to be a one-off.
The Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn South Africa’s 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders.
The decision comes after two charter flights transporting Palestinians landed in South Africa last month. About 153 Palestinians arrived in South Africa on Thursday, 13 November 2025, leaving their war-torn homes and belongings in Gaza.
‘Not once off’
In a statement on Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Leon Shreiber said investigations into the incident found that the arrival of these charter flights was not intended to be a one-off, but may be part of a broader, ongoing effort to relocate Palestinians to other parts of the world.
This investigation report revealed that a Dubai-based broker with offices in South Africa recently requested bulk quotations for additional charter flights to commence as soon as possible.
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Withdrawing visa exemption
“Withdrawing the visa exemption is the most effective way to prevent further flights of this nature, while ensuring that bona fide travellers from Palestine are safely able to visit South Africa without being subjected to abuse,” Schreiber said.
“South Africa will not be complicit in any scheme to exploit or displace Palestinians from Gaza.”
Schreiber said when the most recent charter flight landed at OR Tambo International Airport, President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that the travellers may have been “flushed out of Gaza.”
“Subsequent investigations have confirmed this to be the case.”
‘Israeli actors’
Schreiber said that following investigations and recommendations by national intelligence structures, and consultations conducted within the Security Cluster, confirmed the “deliberate and ongoing abuse of the 90-day visa exemption.”
“Short-stay visa exemptions are a commonly used instrument by countries around the world to incentivise tourism and short-term travel.
“However, investigations into the recent arrival of two charter flights transporting Palestinian passport holders revealed systematic abuse of this exemption, with travel designed not for the purposes of tourism or short stays as intended, but to relocate Palestinians from Gaza,” Schreiber said.
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Who chartered the flight?
Schreiber added that rather than using ordinary commercial flights, entire aeroplanes were chartered “not by the travellers themselves, but by intermediaries.”
“Most passengers were given one-way tickets to South Africa and prohibited from bringing luggage with them, while only being allowed to carry US Dollars and essentials.
“Upon their arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, it was further discovered that many of them lacked departure verification and accommodation in South Africa, in addition to not possessing return or onward flight tickets. Taken together, this constituted obvious abuse of the exemption by external actors for purposes other than its intended use,” he said.
Palestinian ‘abuse’
Schreiber added that the sequence of events also amounted to “abuse of the passengers themselves,” as those who arranged the flights were apparently content to leave the travellers destitute upon their arrival in South Africa.
“Most of the travellers indicated that they did not want to claim asylum in South Africa, necessitating civil society organisations to take responsibility for their welfare.”
Visa applications
Schreiber said in the wake of the withdrawal of the visa exemption, his department will process any asylum applications submitted by the travellers who arrived on the two charter flights, while upholding the terms of the 90-day exemption for those who do not seek asylum
“Going forward, visa applications from bona fide Palestinian travellers will be processed accordingly, to enable them to visit South Africa. While any further attempts at abuse will be rejected,” Schreiber said.
Detention
On arrival in South Africa, the Palestinian passport holders were initially detained for several hours because they did not have the required immigration documentation and approvals.
However, the Palestinians were later released into the care of the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers.
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