African nationals seeking visas to enter the European Union will face higher costs as the EU plans to raise visa fees starting Tuesday, according to Schengen visa statistics released on Saturday.
Beginning Tuesday, African nationals will have to pay €90 instead of the current €80 for a Schengen visa application. The EU earned €3.4 million from rejected visa applications submitted by Nigerian citizens alone. In 2023, African nationals received 704,000 rejections for their visa requests, translating to €56.3 million in non-refundable fees.
The report highlighted the financial strain on African applicants due to high rejection rates, referring to these fees as ‘reverse remittances’ that benefit only the EU countries. In 2023, Africans spent €56.3 million on visa applications, accounting for 43% of total expenses, with rejection rates particularly high among African and Asian applicants. Visa fees for adults will increase by 12.5% to €90 on June 11, following a decision by the EU Commission.
Algeria had the highest number of rejected applications, representing 23.5% of all rejected applications and 42.3% of total requests. Moroccans, the top African visa applicants, faced the highest rejection rate, with 437,000 applications denied in 2023, amounting to €10.9 million in lost fees.
The report noted the severe impact on African nationals, who often earn some of the lowest wages globally. In 2023, 43.1% of all revenue from rejected applications came from African applicants.
A study by EU Observer revealed that Schengen visa rejections generated €130 million in 2023, up from €105 million the previous year. Marta Foresti, founder of LAGO Collective, remarked on the financial inequality, describing the costs of rejected visas as ‘reverse remittances’ that transfer money from poorer to richer countries. She emphasized the need to address these hidden costs in discussions about aid and migration.
