Ryanair in the storm: mandatory test to be able to leave

Ryanair is under indictment after forcing some passengers to take a test. This has nothing to do with Covid. In fact, the airline chose to push some of its users, who were ready to board, to a Afrikaans test. The goal? To prove one's nationality before being allowed to leave regularly. Once the news came out, harsh accusations of racial discrimination were not long in coming. Below we explain in detail what happened, but more importantly why the lowcost airline held this attitude.

Afrikaans test on Ryanair

Have you ever had to take a test in order to fly with an airline? Some passengers Ryanair happened, and it was not appreciated at all. A form was posed to some users, who were confronted with Afrikaans, third most spoken language in South Africa after Zulu and Xhosa. A choice deemed absurd, compounded by the fact that it was selected as the language imposed on black South Africans during apartheid. To date, 12% of the population uses it regularly, meaning they can call themselves native speakers.

The news went around the world after a passenger traveling from Portugal to London testified on Twitter. He explained that he had to complete a two-page test in Afrikaans. A hurdle he had to overcome in order to board after having duly paid for his ticket. A discriminatory and fallacious system, considering how the South Africa has 11 official languages And many citizens do not speak Afrikaans.

Ryanair's Afrikaans test: here's why

The test imposed by Ryanair on some of its passengers has a clear objective, to prove that they are really South African citizens. A measure activated to counter the spread of fake passports. In fact, every South African citizen who intends to travel to Europe must fill out the form.

A decidedly fallacious system, since there are numerous official languages in South Africa and Afrikaans is not as widely spoken. Not speaking it does not, of course, automatically indicate that one's passport is false. Think of an Italian speaking almost exclusively his or her own dialect. Could not being able to flatly understand a test in Italian prevent him from flying?

Ryanair's version, provided to CNN, is rather brief and in fact only specifies what we already know: "In order to minimize the risk of using fake passports, Ryanair requires its passengers with South African passports to fill out a simple questionnaire in Afrikaans."

What happens if the passenger is found to be unable to complete the test? Are other languages provided? Are there official and more effective methods of passport verification? None of the above. The flight is automatically canceled and the cost of the ticket refunded in full. A huge damage is being done, since even those who have not committed any crime are being precluded from flying regardless.

Underlying this is a real phenomenon, and more importantly, the decision by the U.K. government to fine companies 2 thousand pounds for each passenger let into the country with a fake passport or visa.

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