South Africa grants entry to 130 Palestinians seeking refugee status

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has confirmed that Palestinian passengers who arrived at OR Tambo International Airport seeking refugee status, initially denied entry, have now been cleared.

This follows an intervention by disaster response non-governmental organisation, Gift of the Givers (GOTG).

GOTG confirmed that it would accommodate the group during their stay, leading to their admission after verification.

By that time, 23 of the 153 passengers had already departed for their onward destinations, leaving 130 to be processed into the country under the care of the organisation.

BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato said the group of 153 Palestinians landed at about 08:15 at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on a chartered Global Airways flight from Kenya.

During standard immigration interviews, the BMA said that passengers could not provide details about the duration of their stay or their accommodation in South Africa, and their passports did not contain departure stamps.

They were seeking asylum or temporary refuge in South Africa in the Middle East. However, none indicated an intention to apply for asylum. As a result, immigration officers initially denied them entry.

This later left the 153 passengers on the plane for most of the day. The Ministry of Home Affairs later received correspondence from Minister Ronald Lamola urging them to be granted access.

The BMA said the group was admitted in line with existing visa exemptions that allow Palestinian passport holders to visit South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa.

It added that it would continue to uphold South Africa’s immigration laws and maintain strict compliance with its legal and regulatory frameworks.

Welcomed with open arms

Following the announcement by the BMA, the Gift of the Givers said that the Palestinians received a warm welcome from Dirco’s director-general (DG) Zane Dangor and Minister Ronald Lamola. 

“This is in keeping with South Africa’s policy of standing with Palestine by taking the terrorist, genocidal, apartheid state of Israel to the ICJ, ICC and garnering a boycott of that country,” said GOTG founder and chair Imtiaz Sooliman. 

Sooliman said the BMA acted in accordance with its mandate to prevent passengers without an exit stamp from disembarking.

He alleged that ‘Israel deliberately did not stamp the passports of these poor people,’ accusations which have been denied.

The arrival comes amid ongoing instability in Gaza and the wider region following the renewed conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

The Israel-Hamas war, triggered by militant Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages, has caused prolonged instability.

As of August 2025, approximately 70,000 Palestinians have been killed and about 90% of Gaza’s pre-war population have been internally displaced

South Africa has been outspoken in its criticism of Israel’s military actions and has maintained diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority.