South Africa has granted 90-day emergency visa exemptions to 153 Palestinians who arrived unexpectedly from Kenya on Thursday without proper documentation.
The group, which landed at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday aboard a chartered flight from Kenya, was held on the tarmac for more than 12 hours after border officials flagged the absence of Israeli departure stamps in their passports.
The Ministry of Home Affairs later permitted entry after humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers pledged to provide accommodation.
However, only 130 of the 153 Palestinians have remained in South Africa while 23 continued to other destinations after initially getting visas into South Africa, according to officials.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described the arrivals as having been “flushed out” of Gaza, noting the mysterious nature of their journey.
“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” he said Friday night, adding that the government would investigate the circumstances surrounding their travel.
Of the 153 passengers, 130 have remained in South Africa while 23 continued to other destinations, according to officials.
The move has drawn diplomatic praise from Palestine and triggered a criminal investigation into suspected human trafficking.
The Palestinian foreign ministry welcomed South Africa’s decision, calling it a “sovereign act of compassion” and expressing gratitude for the country’s support.
It also condemned the role of unregistered organisations allegedly involved in orchestrating the travel, accusing them of exploiting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and engaging in deceptive practices.
The Palestinian embassy in Pretoria stated that both the latest group and a previous cohort of 176 Palestinians who arrived in October were misled by an unregistered entity that collected money and facilitated irregular travel.
Palestinian authorities have urged families to be cautious of unauthorised relocation schemes and warned that those involved in trafficking or exploitation would face legal consequences.
South Africa, a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, filed a case at the International Court of Justice in December 2023, accusing Israel of genocide.
According to Gaza health authorities, over 69,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 170,000 injured since October 2023.
JN/APA