South Africa allows 153 Palestinians to disembark after 12 hours held on plane
South African authorities have permitted a group of 153 Palestinians who had been kept on board an aircraft for about 12 hours to leave the plane after it landed in Johannesburg, officials said.
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What happened
The group arrived on a chartered Global Airways flight and was initially kept on the aircraft for roughly 12 hours, the Border Management Authority (BMA) said. After that period, BMA officials allowed the passengers to disembark and enter the airport terminal.
Officials’ account
The Border Management Authority said the passengers had not provided information on how long they intended to remain in South Africa or where they planned to stay. It also said their passports did not contain the departure stamps required to show where they had boarded the flight.
Unanswered questions
Authorities have not publicly detailed why the absence of departure stamps prompted the initial hold, nor have they disclosed the passengers’ intended itinerary beyond their arrival in Johannesburg. The BMA statement did not specify whether any further immigration processing, temporary documentation or conditions were applied to the group after they were allowed to disembark.
Context and next steps
The BMA is the government agency responsible for immigration control at South Africa’s borders and airports. In cases where travel documents or travel histories are incomplete, border officials typically seek to verify identities, travel origins and intentions before permitting entry, though the authority has not outlined the specific measures taken in this case.
There has been no public comment from Global Airways in connection with the flight, and no announcement from other government departments. The circumstances that led to the charter flight, including who organized it and the passengers’ departure point, have not been disclosed by officials.
Further details may emerge if the BMA or other agencies release more information about the passengers’ status, any follow-up procedures or the reasons the group’s travel documentation lacked expected stamps.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
