High visa rejection rates pose a significant barrier for Africans looking to travel abroad, particularly to the Schengen region in Europe, a report by AP has revealed. Data shows that 70% of the top 10 countries with the highest visa rejection rates are African.
Entrepreneurs are especially affected, as visa denials hinder their ability to expand their businesses beyond domestic markets.
This not only limits economic opportunities but also perpetuates dependence on local markets. Travel for leisure, education, or visiting purposes is also hindered by visa rejections, leading to a sense of isolation for those denied entry.
Governments need to take action to promote visa liberalisation, streamline application processes, and address discriminatory practices. Africa accounts for seven of the top ten countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates, indicating a pressing need for reform.
Recent reports show a decline in global Schengen visa applications, with African applicants facing particularly high rejection rates despite submitting fewer applications per capita.
RANK COUNTRY VISA APPLICATIONS VISA REJECTIONS REJECTION RATES
1 Algeria 392,053 179,409 45.8%
2 Guinea-Bissau 7,990 3,611 45.2%
3 Nigeria 86,815 39,189 45.1%
4 Ghana 42,124 18,363 43.6%
5 Senegal 56,866 23,683 41.6%
Source: AP
Mimi Mefo Info – Schengen Visa Rejections
Mimi Mefo Info (MMI) is an Independent online news reporting network based in the UK, Germany & Cameroon. We have reporters across most of Cameroon’s ten regions, bringing you independent news on a daily basis. MMI is not affiliated with any government or organisation. As such, we report the news with objectivity, aiming to encourage freedom of the press and expression, hold authorities to account, and encourage a system of citizen journalism where Cameroonians from all works of life can get their stories told.
Despite the hostile media environment in Cameroon, where journalists are constantly, harassed, arrested, or killed, MMI believes that the only way to overcome this is to create a structure of reporting, where journalists are free to work, without jeopardising their safety. Hence, while MMI is registered in the UK and has its top management out of Cameroon, the journalists who cover the news on a daily basis are resident across different regions of Cameroon.
MMI also covers news of interest across different countries in Africa and the globe. Often, these are stories that have been authenticated by local media sources. The objective is to amplify the voices of others in these countries and provide the Cameroonian audience with up-to-date happenings in other areas of the continent and the world.
We believe that information is power and should be used in shaping society for the good of everyone. We believe that everyone stands to benefit when we embrace and value the diversity of thoughts, ideas, and ways of working that people from different backgrounds, experiences, and identities bring.