More than 150 Palestinian refugees who were stranded at OR Tambo International Airport for nearly a full day have now been allowed into South Africa.
The group of 153 travellers was initially denied entry on Wednesday after immigration officials were unable to verify their documentation. Of those, 130 have since been cleared and are now under the care of humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers. The remaining 23 had already left the airport for other destinations.
The group arrived on a chartered Global Airways flight from Kenya shortly after 8am.
According to the Border Management Authority, the travellers failed to declare the duration of their stay in South Africa or provide details of where they would be accommodated factors that contributed to the delay.
Home Affairs says it has since received assurances from Gift of the Givers that the refugees will be housed and supported during their stay in the country.