内容摘要：This did not deter Lissu's supporters, hundreds of whom had gathered outside.

This did not deter Lissu's supporters, hundreds of whom had gathered outside.

Gujjar's travel history - obtained by BBC Verify through a source - showed the smuggler followed a similar route, entering Dakar airport in Senegal on two occasions in 2024.Multiple videos also place him in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott from October 2024 - though the date of upload could differ to when they were filmed.

Further clips, posted to TikTok by Ali and Shahzad place Gujjar in Mauritania as early as August 2024. The trio are seen on the rooftops of Nouakchott's sand-coloured buildings and in restaurants around the city - a luxury other migrants couldn't afford.Videos from their accounts reveal the men were close, hailing from the same village. Their uncle, Ahsan Shahzad Chaudhry, confirmed to BBC Verify that his nephew Sufian Ali was friends with Gujjar.One survivor named Uzair Bhat said Gujjar falsely promised him safe and legal routes to Europe. He sent BBC Verify proof of funds transferred to a bank account under Gujjar's real name, Khawar Hassan.

But when Uzair arrived in Mauritania, the smuggler backtracked."He said going by air will not work from here. I'll send you by a big ship," Uzair recalled. "Please cooperate, your visa [to Europe] won't come through."

Eventually Uzair relented.

As well as Ali, Shahzad and Uzair, BBC Verify identified two other migrants who bought journeys from Gujjar.He said that while it was undeniable that some farmers faced "genuine threats and hardships", it was important to be cautious "when discussing claims of persecution or discrimination that portray an entire group as victims of targeted violence or systemic oppression".

While many white South Africans echo Mr Janse van Vuuren's sentiments, there are also those who see themselves as a persecuted minority.Among them is Ilse Steenkamp, who along with her family, has applied for the programme but has not received feedback. She did not want us to use her real name.

Ms Steenkamp, 47, and her husband, both Afrikaners, were commercial farmers but said they had lost their land recently after it was invaded by people who "took over the whole farm" just as they were about to sell it in order to "downscale".She said they had bought the land two decades ago, after the end of apartheid.