Overview
- Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said national intelligence concluded the exemption was deliberately abused by external actors linked to relocation efforts from Gaza.
- Authorities found intermediaries chartered entire aircraft, issued one-way tickets, restricted luggage, and delivered passengers lacking exit verification, accommodation details, and return or onward tickets.
- Two charter arrivals triggered the action, including a 13 November flight carrying 153 Palestinians who were held for hours before admission on humanitarian grounds with help from Gift of the Givers.
- Global Airways confirmed it had operated a similar Nairobi–Johannesburg charter on 28 October carrying Palestinian passengers admitted under the same exemption.
- Investigations are probing a wider network, including reports of a Dubai-based broker seeking bulk charters and possible involvement of Al-Majd Europe, as authorities shift arrivals to asylum processing and standard visa routes for bona fide travelers.