67 Pakistanis attempting to enter South Africa illegally sent back home: Minister

Sixty-seven Pakistani nationals trying to enter South Africa illegally were denied entry and sent back home after authorities conducted a sting operation, the country’s home affairs minister said.

The Pakistani nationals were intercepted in the early hours of Sunday after they failed the immigration test, which includes questions on how long their visas entitled them to be in the country, Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said.

“These Pakistanis were denied entry into South Africa in the early hours of 13 August 2023 after they failed the immigration test, which included questions on how long their visas entitled them to be in the country. They have been sent back to Pakistan at their own cost,” a statement by the Department of Home Affairs said.

Motsoaledi welcomed the interception of Pakistanis, who were among the 268 passengers that landed at O R Tambo International Airport in South Africa from Dubai.

Dubai, the Middle-East hub, has become the favoured route between South Africa and the Indian subcontinent after direct flights to Mumbai were stopped by national carrier South African Airways some years ago.

''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 said.

“This is a result of a sting operation that was put together after observing certain trends that were suspicious, and did not make sense,” he said.

A team comprising the Department of Home Affairs Counter Corruption Branch, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the State Security Agency and the Border Management Authority was put together to conduct the sting.

The Pakistani nationals were interviewed by Immigration Officers and asked about where they were going, their purpose for being in South Africa, and where they would stay, given that they were coming here for the first time.

“They provided conflicting evidence, like giving names of non-existent hotels and names of alleged relatives, some of whom did not even exist,” Motsoaledi added.

The minister said that some hotels have been complaining about 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 lose out on other potential visitors who are unable to book because the hotels are supposed to be fully booked.

“We are extremely worried by this new trend, and we have noticed that the newly acquired eVisa 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,” Motsoaledi said, adding that his department would be more vigilant than ever.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)