African nationals spent €56.3 million on visa application fees in 2023, with many applications being denied. This expense represents 43 percent of the total costs incurred by all applicants. Rejection rates were notably high for African and Asian countries, which accounted for 90 percent of all visa application expenses.
Visa fees for the Schengen area will increase by 12.5 percent starting next week, raising the cost from €80 to €90. Historically, Africans have been among the top applicants for Schengen visas and also face the highest rejection rates, particularly Algerians. Algerians, who accounted for 23.5 percent of the rejected applications in 2023, spent €13.2 million on unsuccessful visa applications. They also had the second-highest number of rejected applications, with 289,000 out of 704,000 denials, representing 42.3 percent of the total requests.
Moroccans, the top visa applicants from Africa, had the highest number of visa rejections. In 2023, 437,000 Moroccan visa applications were denied, making up 62 percent of the total rejections. Moroccans spent €10.9 million on these failed applications.
The financial impact of these rejections is significant, especially for applicants from countries with low average wages. For instance, the cost of a Schengen visa application in Algeria is almost one-third of the average monthly wage.
Data from Schengen Visa Statistics revealed that African nationals received 704,000 negative responses in 2023. As visa fees are non-refundable, this means €56.3 million was lost. This situation is often described as ‘reverse remittances,’ with money flowing from poorer nations to wealthier EU countries.
According to the EU Observer, Schengen visa rejections generated €130 million in 2023, up from €105 million the previous year. The study highlighted that African and Asian countries bear the brunt of these costs.
Marta Foresti, founder of LAGO Collective, emphasized the inequality in visa policies, noting that the poorest pay the highest price for rejected applications. She urged for a change in the discourse around aid and migration to include these hidden costs.
Starting June 11, 2024, the increased visa fees will further impact African nationals, pushing their expenses from €56 million to €63 million.
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