South Africa cancels visa-free entry for Palestinians to counter alleged Israel’s relocation efforts

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has cancelled the 90-day visa exemption previously granted to Palestinian passport holders, saying the decision aims to stop attempts to move residents of Gaza out of the territory under what has been described as “voluntary relocation”.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the ministry said national intelligence investigations had uncovered “the deliberate and ongoing abuse of the 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian ordinary passport holders by Israeli actors linked to ‘voluntary emigration’ efforts for residents of the Gaza Strip”.

The ministry explained that the exemption was withdrawn to prevent further violations of its purpose.

According to the statement, 153 Palestinians were taken out of Gaza without exit stamps on their passports and flown to Johannesburg on a private flight on 13 November. The statement noted that they were not transported on normal commercial flights but through intermediaries, most were given one-way tickets to South Africa, and they were not allowed to bring their luggage. They were permitted to carry only US dollars and essential items.

The ministry added that all these factors clearly show that external actors were exploiting the visa exemption in a way that contradicted its intended use.