One of the unforeseen consequences of the divergent lockdown measures of various countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, is that people get stranded in countries where they do not want to be. At this stage AfriForum and Worldwide are being contacted daily by South Africans who are stranded in many places across the globe, but also South Africans who are “at home”, but would like to go abroad again, because they work outside the borders of South Africa on either a temporary or permanent basis. For the time being, however, the boundaries remain quite firmly closed, while the Department of International Relations and Co-operation is struggling to repatriate South Africans who want to return to the country. To complicate matters, various countries’ diverse quarantine and border control measures have to be accommodated.

These challenges are not unique to South Africa ‒ one of Worldwide’s esteemed contributors, Dr Pieter de Lange, reported last week that approximately a million citizens of Great Britain were abroad at that time, and that the service centre dedicated to their repatriation, was receiving up to 15 000 calls a day. In short, most countries have a number of citizens who need travel-related assistance.

It goes without saying that people who get stranded are subject to a lot of stress. Often they run out of funds and data, they struggle to communicate with the authorities involved, they are concerned about the virus, they are concerned about friends and family at home, they cannot fulfil essential obligations … in short, they are stuck in an uncomfortable situation with unpredictable consequences.

Unfortunately, there are also people who try to exploit the vulnerability caused by such a situation. Here is some advice for anyone still stranded in a country where they do not want to be right now. It is essential to liaise with the consular staff of the country you are a citizen of in order to stay informed and also to keep them informed about your whereabouts. Secondly, quite a lot of media groups, such as on WhatsApp, have emerged lately for people “trapped” in certain countries. Join them, as they ensure fast and inexpensive communication, but please remain vigilant. Such groups also sometimes distribute unsubstantiated rumours, or fall victim to criminals running scams. Check information and do not make any payments if you are not sure that the funds will be used for your accommodation, provisions, or officially approved travel arrangements.

Then also, with a view to the future, the following advice. Hopefully life will, to a large extent, return to what we used to call “normal” before 2020. Many of us will then travel once more ‒ some for work, others for pleasure, others to visit family and friends abroad. People who stay in a country longer than the country’s visa requirements allow, are usually blacklisted internationally. Visa application forms always ask if you have ever been denied a visa or haven’t complied with visa requirements. From our current perspective, it goes without saying that people got stranded through no fault of their own, but as time goes by, memories fade. Countries that have effective administrative systems will realise why a “violation” may appear on your record in 2020 and will not hold it against you, but other countries may later become unreasonable, or ask for more information. Therefore never throw away or destroy your expired passports ‒ keep them as proof of your whereabouts. Also, if you are currently conducting any correspondence with your country’s consulate or any other authorities, and can prove that you have done everything possible to leave the country that issued the visa on time, keep that correspondence for future reference. Maybe you will never need it, and then it will be a mere memento of this strange time. However, should it ever be required, you will have it at hand and save time and effort.

Good luck to everyone, wherever you may be. Meanwhile, virtually come home to Worldwide, the platform for all South Africans that requires no visas.