The South Africa Home Affairs Department has deported Lithuanian actress leva Andrejevaite for falsely claiming refugee status in the country without a valid visa.
Home Affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza said in April, Andrejevaite arrived at the Cape Town International Airport in a private jet without a visa.
She sought to abuse South Africa’s refugee management regime when she fabricated a story of wanting to apply for asylum because of the ‘war in Ukraine.
Qoza said the actress was duly issued with an asylum-seeker visa in terms of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
“At no stage, during her stay in the country, did Ms Andrejevaite attempt to apply for asylum. As such, she became an illegal foreigner, as defined in the Immigration Act, because the five-day period lapsed,” Qoza said.
The Home Affairs Department said Andrejevaite subsequently launched “ill-advised legal proceedings” in the Western Cape High Court under case number 5268/2022 wherein she made further disparaging comments about South Africa, the national department and its immigration officials.
On June 2, the Western Cape High Court ordered Andrejevaite to apologise to South Africans, the Home Affairs Minister and the Department of Home Affairs officials.
Andrejevaite was formally processed for deportation on June 5, She is now prohibited from visiting South Africa for a period of five years.
