Africans face a high rejection rate for visas to enter the Schengen group of countries. The group is made up of 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. A Schengen visa is an entry permit for non-EU nationals which would allow them to make a short, temporary visit of up to 90 days in the Schengen area.
In 2023, the Schengen states generated US$906 million from visa applications, of which US$145 million came from rejected visa applications. These refusals in 2023 cost African nationals US$61 million in application fees.
A recent report by the British migration consultancy Henley & Partners shows that African countries accounted for seven of the top ten countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates in 2022. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo asks migration scholar Mehari Taddele Maru, who contributed to the report, why rejection rates for Africans are so high.
