The European Union is set to raise Schengen visa fees from €80 to €90 starting Tuesday, impacting African nationals applying for visas. This change follows a report released on Saturday, highlighting the financial burden on African applicants.
In 2023, African nationals faced 704,000 visa rejections, costing them €56.3 million in non-refundable application fees. Nigerian citizens alone contributed €3.4 million from rejected applications. This phenomenon, described as “reverse remittances,” transfers substantial funds from poorer to richer countries without benefiting the applicants.
The report indicated that 43% of the total expenses on rejected visa applications in 2023 came from African nationals, with rejection rates particularly high for African and Asian countries. The upcoming fee increase by 12.5% will exacerbate these costs.
Algeria had the highest number of rejected applications among African countries, with 289,000 rejections constituting 23.5% of all funds spent on failed applications. Moroccans, who were the top African applicants, faced the highest rejection rate, with 437,000 requests denied, costing them €10.9 million in 2023.
The report emphasized that many African countries, with some of the lowest wages globally, are severely impacted by these expenses. In total, rejected visa applications from Africans accounted for 43.1% of all fees generated by rejections in 2023.
A study by EU Observer revealed that Schengen visa rejections generated €130 million in 2023, up from €105 million the previous year, indicating a rising trend in both expenses and rejection rates.
Marta Foresti, founder of LAGO Collective, highlighted the issue, stating, “Visa inequality has very tangible consequences, and the world’s poorest pay the price. The costs of rejected visas act as ‘reverse remittances,’ and it’s time to address these hidden expenses in discussions about aid and migration.”
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