Phuti Mosomane
Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said 67 Pakistani nationals who wanted to enter the country on Sunday without complying with immigration laws have been returned back home at their own costs.
The Pakistani nationals were denied entry into South Africa in the early hours on Sunday on a flight with 268 passengers from Dubai after they failed the immigration test at the OR Tambo International Airport.
Motsoaledi said the Pakistanis carrying questionable visas failed tests when asked questions including “how long their visas entitled them to be in the country.”
“This is a result of a sting operation that was put together after observing certain trends that were suspicious and did not make sense. They were interviewed by Immigration Officers and they were asked about where they were going and about the purpose of being in South Africa and where they were going to stay given that they were coming here for the first time.
“They provided conflicting evidence like giving names of non-existent hotels, names of alleged relatives, some of whom did not even exist,” said Motsoaledi in a statement.
A team of the Department of Home Affairs Counter Corruption Branch, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), State Security Agency and the Border Management Authority (BMA) was put together to conduct the sting.
“Essentially, these people wanted to come to South Africa but were unable to explain where they were going and for what reason. There is no other way. They have to return to their home country. We can’t allow such people to enter the country,” Motsoaledi added.
Motsoaledi said some hotels have complained that there is an increase in the number of Pakistanis who book accommodation and then end up not showing up.
“This means that the hotels lose money with these dubious bookings and also on other potential visitors who are unable to book because the hotels are supposed to be full.”
He said the department will be more vigilant than ever before.
“We are extremely worried by this new trend and we have noticed that the newly acquired e-Visa system, which is meant to facilitate easier entry into the country by tourists, is being seriously abused by some nationals. We will never allow this,” said Motsoaledi.
The South Africa e-Visa application, launched in February 2022, is aimed to improve the immigration process and to amplify the border security checks.
The e-Visa enables the prospective visitor to apply for a Visa from his/her home country online without visiting the Mission and also pay the visa fee online.
On arrival, the visitor presents the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country.
It allows eligible citizens to enter the country without going to an embassy, but Motsoaledi hinted at reviewing the system following a number of cases of manipulation.
The South Africa online visa is aimed at being available to a larger number of nationalities, such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and all European Union member states.
The e-Visa system has been launched in 14 countries, including China, India, Kenya and Nigeria, according to the government’s commitment.
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