In response to corruption at airports resulting in the flouting of migration systems, South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced Thursday that transit visa requirements will once again apply to Bangladeshi and Pakistani ordinary passport holders from Aug. 1, 2022.
“This means that all travelers using ordinary passports issued by Bangladesh and Pakistan authorities are required to apply for a visa when transiting through South Africa to other countries,” Minister Motsoaledi said at a briefing in Pretoria.
In June, a group of people from Bangladesh and Pakistan were caught sneaking in illegally through fire hydrant passages at the OR Tambo airport on their way to the transit lounge when they were trying to enter South Africa. This was among the incidents which prompted the reinstatement of the visas for these two countries.
“The reintroduction of transit visas is one of the practical and strong interventions we are making in our ongoing efforts to strengthen entry requirements in our airports. It also underscores our resolve to stop people from undermining our systems,” he said.
According to the minister, South Africa’s security and sovereignty were undermined by illegal immigrants from these countries. This decision had been communicated to Bangladesh and Pakistan through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, he said. Enditem
