South Africa Grants Entry to 153 Palestinian Refugees

South African authorities have granted entry to 153 Palestinian refugees who arrived Thursday, 13 November 2025, on a chartered flight from Kenya to seek asylum in the country but had been denied admission after failing immigration tests. The Border Management Authority (BMA) said in a statement that during their standard immigration interview process, the Palestinians did not indicate their duration of stay in the country or their intended accommodation addresses. The Palestinian refugees waited for more than 10 hours on the tarmac at OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg to be cleared or turned away. The news caused outrage among activists in the country known to be strong supporters of Palestinian rights. South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs authorised the passengers to get off the plane on Thursday night after a local humanitarian organisation guaranteed to provide the passengers with accommodation during their stay in South Africa if needed.