Deportees/Persons in Custody
Definition
A person who had legally been admitted to a State by its authorities or who had entered a State illegally, and who at some later stage is formally ordered to be removed from that State.
Policy
Deportees/persons in custody may only be accepted for carriage on South African Airways owned or operated aircraft upon completion and confirmation of the appropriate consultations and notifications.
Standards
Before acceptance for travel of a deportee/person in custody, the office of the Director (South African Airways Protection Services) must be consulted as to the level of security to be applied.
The deporting State must conduct a risk assessment of the deportee/ person in custody and inform South African Airways in writing of the results. The assessment shall include medical, mental and physical fitness for carriage, willingness to travel, behavioral patterns, history of violence and other relevant information such as name, age, gender, country of citizenship, destination, as well as background on escort's), if applicable
The office of the Director (South African Airways Protection Services) will facilitate an internal evaluation on the results of the deporting State, to determine whether the use of escorts (and the number of escorts) is required.
Any escort required to accompany a deportee/person in custody, must be qualified for the task, subject to the approval from the office of the Director (South African Airways Protection Services ).
Whenever a deportee/person in custody is accepted for travel on South African Airways owned or operated aircraft, the Pilot-in-Command as well as the Purser must be notified of the deportee/ person in custody before departure of the flight.
The Pilot-in-Command and the Purser also be advised whether the deportee/person in custody is under escort
Prior to acceptance for travel on South African Airways owned or operated aircraft, the destination station, transit station (where applicable) and the appropriate authorities must be notified of the arrival of the deportee/person in custody. In making arrangements for the removal of a deportee/person in custody to a destination country, direct non-stop flights must be used whenever possible.
Escorts shall remain with the deportee/person in custody for the duration of the flight and until handed over to the authorities on arrival at the final destination.
The maximum number of deportees/persons in custody, accompanied by escort's) and carried on South African Airways owned or operated aircraft, may not exceed two (2).
Deportees/persons in custody
Deportees/persons in custody must be security screened.
The travel documents of deportees/persons in custody, not under escort, must be handed to the Purser.
Liquor may not be served to escorts or deportees/persons in custody while on board South African Airways owned or operated aircraft.
Explanatory Notes
The above are the minimum standards for South African Airways. Cognizance must also be taken of other local regulations and/ or legislation, where applicable.
Where possible, such persons and their escorts must be seated in the rearmost seats of the aircraft (and remote from any doors).
South African Airways is not obliged to accept any such category person, unless such a person was carried to and landed by South African Airways, and was subsequently refused access to that country by the relevant authorities. Such a person is usually returned to his point of origin on the returning flight.
South African Airways is not obliged to accept a person from another carrier, especially when such a person is under repatriation/deportation.
Under no circumstances is South African Airways to accept deportees /persons in custody being routed via South Africa to a third country, unless such a person is under escort and the appropriate arrangements at both transit/intermediate and final destination have been finalized and confirmed.
Inadmissible Passengers
Definition
A passenger who is refused admission to a State by authorities of that State, or who is refused onward carriage by a State authority at a point of transfer, e.g. due to lack of visa, expired passport, etc.
Explanatory Notes
There is no restriction on the number of inadmissible passengers to be accepted for carriage on South African Airways owned or operated aircraft. Inadmissible passengers to be treated as per normal procedures for other passengers.
Inadmissible passengers need not be escorted as for deportees, provided such passenger(s) is/are no threat to the safe operations of the flight.
Should an inadmissible passenger, at any stage before the departure of the flight show signs of violent behavior, etc., the Pilot-in-Command has the legal authority to refuse such a person for carriage. The office of the Director (South African Airways Protection Services) will then arrange to remove such a person on the same conditions as for deportees.
Revision date: Wednesday, 17 October, 2018
