Low-cost carrier Ryanair has come under fire for asking South African travellers to take a nationality test

Ryanair is being accused of racial discrimination after presenting passengers with a test in the West Germanic language, Afrikaans.

The language was forced upon black South Africans under apartheid rule, and is only spoken by around 12 per cent of the population.

The two-page nationality test focusses on South African general knowledge.

The airline says it was issued because of the “high prevalence” of fake passports coming from the country.

The U.K. High Commission in South Africa says the questionnaire is “not a government requirement”.

South Africa’s Home Affairs Department is warning against the use of fake passports. But it is yet to issue a statement on the test.

Airlines operating to the U.K. face fines of over £2,000 pounds for people travelling on fraudulent passports.