South Africa says it is suspicious about the arrival of the group of Palestinians. Picture: Gift of the Givers. The Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn South Africa’s 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders.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 Africaon Thursday, 13 November 2025, leaving their war-torn homes and belongings in Gaza. 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.
“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.” 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.
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