Toya Delazy Claims Airport Security Profiled Her And Took Her Passport: "I need help"

• South African artist Toya Delazy went live on Instagram in 2024 at Gatwick Airport after security confiscated her passport without explanation
• The musician said going live likely protected her from a potentially worse outcome, calling the experience deeply painful
• Toya Delazy reflected on the ordeal, saying racism is a disease of the mind, while confirming she was safe

South African musician Toya Delazy found herself in a distressing situation at London's Gatwick Airport on 7 July 2024, when a security officer confiscated her passport without offering any reason for doing so.

The singer, who has built a reputation as a bold and independent artist, took to Facebook to recount what happened. She described the moment as unlike anything she had previously encountered, writing that she had never heard of a passport being taken at a security checkpoint.

Toya Delazy's live stream

Toya Delazy said she made the swift decision to go live on Instagram while the incident was unfolding, a move she believes changed the outcome dramatically.

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Once the live stream was running, the officer returned her passport, though he offered no explanation for why he had taken it in the first place.

She noted that he handed it back with a smile, which she found deeply unsettling given the circumstances.

"This was very painful to experience, as a young independent artist so far from home, they really don't respect us," she wrote in her post.

She added that going live on social media likely saved her from a far worse situation, suggesting that without the public visibility, things could have escalated to the point of wrongful arrest.

Toya Delazy speaks on racism

Despite the ordeal, Toya Delazy was careful not to paint everyone with the same brush. She acknowledged that she has encountered many decent, fair-minded white people throughout her life and was clear that her experience at Gatwick reflected one individual's behaviour rather than a universal truth.

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"I have met enough good white people to know that racism is a disease of the mind, not everyone is the same," she wrote.

She ended her message on a note of reassurance for her followers back home in South Africa, letting them know she was resting and safe after what had clearly been a deeply unsettling experience far from home.

Toya asks for money to get home

Briefly News also highlighted facts about singer and songwriter Toya Delazy's recent appeal for donations to cover her flight back to South Africa.

Despite being previously celebrated as a prominent artist in Africa, Delazy now finds herself facing financial challenges while living abroad, prompting her to seek support from fans.

Source: Briefly News