Cape Town – Russian-born Lithuanian actress Leva Andrejevaite, who wanted to attend a party in Cape Town was reportedly deported by Home Affairs after she allegedly tried to misuse South Africa’s asylum laws.
Reports said that Andrejevaite allegedly lied about seeking asylum from the war in Ukraine.
It was alleged the actress made up the story after being refused entry at Cape Town International Airport.
Home Affairs spokesperson, Siya Qoza said the Lithuanian actress was refused entry after landing at the Cape Town International Airport in a private jet without a visa, reported SowetanLive.
[Read] The Department of Home Affairs has deported Lithuanian actress Ieva Andrejevaite after she sought to abuse South Africa’s refugee management regime https://t.co/wa9jJBX46v @HomeAffairsSA pic.twitter.com/qTIbfASV62
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) June 13, 2022
“After that refusal of entry, she then lied to immigration officials making up a story of wanting to apply for asylum. As a result of our asylum seeker laws, immigration officials’ hands were tied and they were required to let her into the country so that she could apply for asylum within five days,” the report quoted Qoza as saying.
Andrejevaite failed to follow the asylum-seeking process as stated by immigration officials, and instead, attended a party hosted by Rob Hersov in Cape Town.
Home Affairs reportedly labelled the actress an illegal immigrant which she allegedly tried to challenge at the Western Cape High Court.
“After being served with the department’s opposing papers, Ms Andrejevaite realised that she had lied to the immigration officials and then to the High Court and would face the possibility of criminal charges over and above the consequences and embarrassment stemming from her High Court application,” News24 quoted Qoza as saying.
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The High Court reportedly ordered Andrejevaite to apologise for her lies to the South African government, including the Home Affairs officials, on June 2.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi reportedly instructed the department to recover all funds due to the State as a result of Andrejevaite’s bogus application.
“I am extremely happy that our immigration officers implement the laws of the country without fear or favour. As a country, we won’t tolerate the abuse of our immigration laws by anyone nor will we allow the integrity of our borders to be abused. This kind of abuse lends more urgency to the work we are doing in revising our immigration laws,” IOL quoted Motsoaledi as saying.
The actress has since apologised as ordered, formally withdrawn the application she had lied in, and agreed to pay the costs the department was subjected to as a result of the “farcical application”, said the report.
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Picture: Twitter/@HomeAffairsSA
