In 2023, the European Union made over Sh. 7.7 billion from rejecting Schengen visa applications by Africans. This is according to a report by the BBC on the imbalance of visa approvals and travel requirements between travelers from African countries and travelers from Europe and North America.
According to the report that quoted the Lago Collective immigration research findings for 2023, the European Union made more than $58 million (Sh. 7.7 million at Sh. 134 per dollar) on rejected visa applications from African countries.
“Nearly a third of Africans applying for a visa to the Schengen area were rejected, higher than the global average.” Related visa statistics show that in 2023, African nationals received 704,000 rejections for their visa requests.
The top rejected applicants for the Schengen visas were from Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Angola, Kenya and South Africa.
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The BBC report further noted how visa application fees for the Schengen area and the United Kingdom have been increasing. “In June 2024, the price of Schengen short-term visas went up from €80 to €90 (Sh. 11,600 to Sh. 13,050 at Sh. 145 per Euro) for adults, and in October 2023, the UK visa fee rose from £100 to £115 (Sh. 17,000 to Sh. 19,550 at Sh. 170 per Sterling Pound),” the BBC reported.
