South Africa lets in 130 Palestinians after initial denial over entry rules

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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -South Africa admitted 130 Palestinians who arrived at O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday from Kenya, after initially denying them entry for not meeting immigration requirements, border authorities said on Friday.

The Border Management Authority said a group of 153 Palestinians, who landed in Johannesburg on a chartered Global Airways flight, had not indicated how long or where they intended to stay. They also did not have the required departure stamps in their passports to show where they had boarded the plane.

“Following their failure to pass the immigration test and given that none of the travellers expressed an intention to apply for asylum, they were initially denied entry,” BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said in a statement.

The travellers were cleared to enter on Wednesday evening after the Ministry of Home Affairs received correspondence from humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers, which offered to accommodate the Palestinians during their stay.

By then, 23 of the 153 had already moved on to other destinations, leaving the 130 admitted under the care of Gift of the Givers.

Palestinians are eligible for 90-day visa-free entry to South Africa, subject to compliance with entry conditions, the BMA said.

South Africa has been supportive of the Palestinian cause and filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in 2023, accusing it of genocide in Gaza. Israel has rejected the accusations.

(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Sonali Paul)