Ryanair is insisting South Africans travelling within Europe take an Afrikaans language test to prove they are South African. If they do not pass or complete the test they are refused travel and cannot board the plane. 

The British government says it does not require the extra language test to be carried out. There is no other country required by Ryanair to complete such a test to prove that they are in fact from the nation stated in their passport.

To add to the absurdity of a language test, the language tested is 1 of 11 official languages, it is not compulsory in schools and it is the mother tongue language of only 13% of South Africans. Hence many will not be able to speak it well enough to pass a test. 

In addition, during apartheid, or white-minority rule, Afrikaans was made mandatory, and an official language of education, alongside English, prompting nationwide protests by black South Africans. 

English is the language most commonly used officially and in business, according to South Africa's 2011 census.

This additional test for one country within the total 195 sets a dangerous precedent to freedom of movement and individual civil rights. 

Please help to stop this discriminatory practice of targeting a nation and its people on the basis of an arbitrary test.