The airline says a questionnaire written in Afrikaans helps it screen for passport fraud in the U.K
Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is facing accusations of racism for requiring South African customers to prove their citizenship by taking a written test in Afrikaans, a derivative of the Dutch language developed by European colonists. Officials at the Dublin-based airline say they are using the test to avoid transporting passengers to the United Kingdom on fake passports. But some South Africans have criticized the policy as racist, saying that the nation officially recognizes 11 languages and that many in the country do not speak Afrikaans. The U.K. High Commission in South Africa tweeted Friday that the test “is not a UK Government requirement.”
The testing policy has caused anger among travelers after reports circulated online. South African language authorities have also denounced the questionnaire.
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