After public outcry, Irish carrier Ryanair has ditched its controversial new policy for South African travelers which included a knowledge test administered in Afrikaans. Critics called the test “racist” and Ryanair backed down after initially defending it.
Ryanair Ditched Afrikaans Test, With CEO Calling It Inappropriate
Citing a growing number of passport fraud cases and claiming to face steep fines for transporting those with fake passports, Ryanair recently instituted a new test for South African passengers.
The test was administered to all passengers who were traveling to the United Kingdom or Ireland with a South African passport. Those passengers were presented with a 12-question written test in Afrikaans at the airport and were required to pass it or be denied boarding.
Afrikaans is the third most common language in South Africa behind Zulu and Xhosa. South Africa has 11 official languages, a marked changed from the Apartheid era in which English and Afrikaans were the two official languages.
Just days ago, Ryanair was still defending its policy, explaining:
“Due to the high prevalence of fraudulent South African passports, we require passengers travelling to the UK to fill out a simple questionnaire issued in Afrikaans. If they are unable to complete this questionnaire, they will be refused travel and issued with a full refund.”
But international outrage erupted over the decision to use Afrikaans. For example, South African Dinesh Joseph “seethed” with anger, according to the BBC, when asked to take the test before a boarding a flight from Spain to the UK:
“It was the language of apartheid! Being a person of color, especially from South Africa, you’ve experienced a lot…of racism.”
A Ryanair flight attendant told Live and Let’s Fly, “The test was in Afrikaans because almost all of our passengers from South Africa are white.” Even if true, that seems like a pretty flimsy reason considering many white South Africans were not brought up to speak Afrikaans.
Yesterday, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary announced the test had been scrapped.
“Our team issued a test in Afrikaans of 12 simple questions. They have no difficulty completing that. But we didn’t think it was appropriate either. So we have ended the Afrikaans test, because it doesn’t make any sense.”
Quite a change of view from just days ago, leading me to wonder whether this was all just another publicity stunt from O’Leary in the first place.
CONCLUSION
Ryanair has rolled back its controversial Afrikaans test administered to South African passengers traveling internationally to the UK or Ireland. In just a day, the test went being strongly defended to a test that doesn’t make any sense.” I suspect there is a better way to mitigate the use of fake passports than administer citizenship-style tests in a language only a small minority of South Africans speak.
> Read More: Ryanair Forcing South African Passengers To Take Knowledge Test In Afrikaans Or Be Denied Boarding
image: Ryanair
Don’t understand why the airline is concerned about passport fraud. It is not their business to check that but for the immigration officers when they land. African countries are famous to provide fake birth certificates to soccer players showing a much younger age so older players can play in much younger leagues and have an advantage. Then they complain when people don’t trust their documents.
If your documents are not in order the airline that transported you is required to return you to your point of origin at the airline’s expense.
The test was problematic because some legitimate citizens don’t know that language and some don’t know arbitrary facts about the country.
It was nice to see Ryanair take the sanctity of Europe seriously by taking steps to prevent fraud. Fake African documents are numerous and people lie about their intentions for travel. They then stay illegally in Europe and rape statistics of course have changed in those countries.
Imagine if carriers and individual workers would be held personally accountable for allowing fraudsters who will commit illegal immigration to enter.
The sanctity of Europe? Give me a break. I’m sure you feel that way about other regions of the world. You feel that way about Europe raping and pillaging the entire world for the last 500 years? You should fill your pockets with rocks and walk into the sea.
Also yes let’s make private companies agents of the government. You sound like an idiot.
Black people must really terrify the sh*t out of you.
“Africa” “sanctity” “rape”
Nice to see the antebellum era arguments haven’t changed
Antebellum? Ha. I suppose if the antebellum era lasted 532 years. But whatever makes you sleep at night honey. I’m just saying she sounds like a racist pile of excrement. You do too. But I’m not surprised considering the website.
Oops I’ve mis read your comment. Apologies.
No worries Adam
“Considering the website?”
Do elaborate.
There is nothing racist about it. Time we had similar test in the US. Everyone should be tested on their knowledge of Hokan and native american history should be caned every time they fail.
Why the quotation marks in the headline?
I don’t think Ryanair intended to suggest racial superiority or inferiority by choosing Afrikaans, as foolish as that choice was.