Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

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Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#1 Post by PHXPhlyer » Wed Jun 08, 2022 1:54 pm

Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test
Europe’s biggest airline confirmed it’s administering the quiz after reports about the test circulated over the weekend, sparking anger among travelers.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ryan ... -rcna32474

Budget airline Ryanair says it’s forcing South African travelers to the U.K. to do a test in the Afrikaans language to prove their nationality in an apparent effort to weed out those with phony passports.

Dublin-based Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline, mainly operates routes around Europe and doesn’t fly to or from South Africa. It confirmed Monday it’s administering the quiz after reports about the test circulated over the weekend, sparking anger among travelers.

Afrikaans is one of South Africa’s 11 official languages and is the first language of about 13 percent of the country’s population. It’s a Dutch-based language developed by many of the country’s white settlers who came from the Netherlands and is associated with South Africa’s apartheid regime of white minority rule that ended in 1994.

“Due to the high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports, we require passengers traveling to the U.K. to fill out a simple questionnaire issued in Afrikaans,” Ryanair said in a brief press statement. “If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund.”

The British High Commission in Pretoria said on Twitter that the test “is not a U.K. government requirement,” and linked to a website with official rules for South African visitors.

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#2 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Wed Jun 08, 2022 2:34 pm

My understanding is that anyone arriving on a false passport/visa, from anywhere, to anywhere, would have to travel back at the expense of the airline.

So, whilst the test is not specifically a requirement, it is up to the airline to do something. The BHC is being evasive here.

Canada had a similar thing a few years ago with false Romanian visas, and Air Canada put tests of some sort in place then.

Or is this not so?

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#3 Post by llondel » Wed Jun 08, 2022 4:20 pm

I think the issue is that it's a test that many people with a genuine SA passport will fail because they don't speak Afrikaans. Therefore it is a poor test. Imagine a test for Brits which was an in-depth quiz about Coronation Street and Eastenders.

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#4 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Wed Jun 08, 2022 4:30 pm

One would have to know what proportion of Ryanair's customers were white. Since they do not fly to SA, I don't think we can assume they will be a normal cross-section of SA passport holders.
Also, are they only using the test on the white travellers?
As so often these days, I expect there is more to it than the information this one story provides, otherwise it would be a prima facae case of racial discrimination. Are Ryanair really that stupid?
I can't find any comment/clarification from Ryanair

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#5 Post by Woody » Thu Jun 09, 2022 9:45 am

When all else fails, read the instructions.

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#6 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:38 pm

And more here

https://www.news24.com/fin24/companies/ ... s-20220609

I note Afrikaans is not compulsory in school in SA.
"They’re using this [test] in a manner that is utterly absurd,"
Conrad Steenkamp, the chief executive officer of the Afrikaans Language Council, said.
So, Ryanair really is that stupid.

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#7 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Jun 10, 2022 12:22 am

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote:
Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:38 pm
And more here

https://www.news24.com/fin24/companies/ ... s-20220609

I note Afrikaans is not compulsory in school in SA.
"They’re using this [test] in a manner that is utterly absurd,"
Conrad Steenkamp, the chief executive officer of the Afrikaans Language Council, said.
So, Ryanair really is that stupid.
Within the context of the South African population, Afrikaans is a minority language, and as you say, is no longer compulsory in school. What Ryanair has done here is akin to setting some arbitrary exam in Gaelic to prove that a person is Irish! Except of course it's even more silly than that because there are 11 dominant languages spoken in South Africa these being:
Afrikaans, English, Pedi, Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu (in alphabetic order).

Soos meneer Steenkap gese het, hierdie so genoemde "toets" is heeltemal eienaardig!
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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#8 Post by Woody » Fri Jun 10, 2022 11:47 am

I think Ryanair should voetsak :))
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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#9 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Jun 10, 2022 2:57 pm

Woody wrote:
Fri Jun 10, 2022 11:47 am
I think Ryanair should voetsak :))
Hulle moet hoes, poep en betaal vir hul dwaasheid! ;)))
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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#10 Post by Undried Plum » Sat Jun 11, 2022 10:28 pm

Do they demand that we Scowegians take a test in Gaelic?

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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#11 Post by Undried Plum » Sat Jun 11, 2022 11:41 pm


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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#12 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jun 12, 2022 12:47 pm

Undried Plum wrote:
Sat Jun 11, 2022 11:41 pm
n' Boer maak 'n plan... ;)))
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Re: Ryanair forces South Africans to prove nationality with Afrikaans test

#13 Post by Woody » Tue Jun 14, 2022 7:48 pm

I’ll have to cancel my lessons :))

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-61804803
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