17/03/2026
Dear Minister Schreiber,
There is something profoundly South African about this moment: the planes are grounded, the skies are closed, the tourists are stuck… and Home Affairs is, as ever, open—just not to solutions.
Let us set the scene properly.
Airspace closures and flight disruptions linked to the escalating Middle East conflict have left travellers stranded across the globe, including those trying to leave or transit through affected regions.
This is not a case of “oops, I missed my flight.” This is force majeure with a boarding pass.
And yet, here we are.
Visitors stuck in South Africa—through no fault of their own—face the delightful bureaucratic roulette of being declared undesirable if they overstay. A label that, under South African law, can trigger bans of up to five years.
Five years. For not controlling geopolitics.
Meanwhile, other countries have reacted like, well… countries in 2026:
• Kuwait has automatically extended visit visas by one month, waiving fines entirely.
• Others like Thailand, Indonesia, Infia, Maledives (the list is endless …) have introduced free extensions or emergency regularisation mechanisms for stranded travellers.
In short: the rest of the world saw chaos and issued compassion.
South Africa saw chaos and reached for… Form BI-1738 in triplicate.
Minister, your own department knows how to do this.
You’ve issued blanket concessions before—extensions, travel permissions, protection from undesirability—when backlogs suited you.
But now? Silence.
No emergency directive.
No automatic extension.
No assurance that innocent travellers won’t be punished for circumstances beyond their control.
Just the familiar administrative shrug—seasoned with a hint of “apply via VFS and hope for the best,” while processing times stretch leisurely between 12 and 20 weeks.
Nothing says “urgent humanitarian response” like a biometric appointment in three weeks.
Let’s be blunt: this is not an immigration problem.
It’s a credibility problem.
Tourists—your tourists—are watching.
Airlines are watching.
Foreign governments are watching.
And they are learning that in South Africa, a global crisis may be temporary… but being declared undesirable is not.
So here’s a radical idea, Minister:
• Issue a blanket visa extension for affected travellers.
• Declare a moratorium on undesirability findings for conflict-related overstays.
• Do it quickly. Do it clearly. Do it publicly.
In other words — govern!
Because right now, the only thing landing consistently in South Africa… is reputational damage.
Yours in exasperation (and mild disbelief),
Into SA on behalf of a country that deserves better than administrative indifference
