The UK Home Office has offered to send a team of visa experts to South Africa following a chaotic visa application process that left hundreds of cricket fans unable to attend the World Cup in England. The South African government was accused of mishandling the system, with applicants reporting weeks of delays, lost documents, and arbitrary rejections. Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the situation, stating that South Africa had been made to look ‘like fools’ on the international stage.
The offer of a review is part of a broader effort to restore confidence in the visa framework before the tournament’s conclusion. South African officials have accepted the proposal, though internal divisions persist over who bears responsibility for the fiasco.
