Moroccans Seek Refund for €10.9 Million Spent on Denied Schengen Visas
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. A Moroccan MP has requested the government to legitimize Schengen visa application refunds.
2. This follows visa rejection rates for Moroccan applicants, resulting in €10.9 million spent on rejected applications.
3. Visa rejections for Moroccans increased by 14% compared to 2022.
Moroccans spent a total of €10.9 million on rejected Schengen visa applications in 2023, a 14.2% increase from 2022 expenditures. This notable rise in spending has prompted Moroccan MPs to urge the government to seek reimbursement for expenses related to visas that were denied.
MP Atarguine’s parliamentary group has expressed concerns about the increasing volume of rejected visa applications filed by Moroccan nationals.
Moroccans Frustrated by Visa Rejection Costs
Many Moroccans have taken to Reddit to express their frustration, with some accusing the EU of unfair practices and others losing interest in visiting the Schengen area due to frequent rejections.
One Reddit user shared their experience: "I personally applied one time to attend my brother’s wedding in France back in 2019 and got rejected for no reason, never again. I have been to Russia, Türkiye, and the UAE. My next trip this year is to Asia (China or Japan). There are so many beautiful places to see in this world."
The growing discontent among Moroccans is one of the reasons MP Atarguine’s parliamentary group is pushing for visa rejection reimbursements. In her query to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Resident Abroad, Atarguine emphasized that compensation should be granted to Moroccan nationals for refused visas.
A Schengen Visa Application Costs a Quarter of National Wage in Morocco
Visa application fees for Moroccan nationals are rising, making it increasingly difficult for some applicants. Until June, the fee for a Schengen visa application was €80, but it has since increased to €90.
This poses a significant challenge for Moroccan nationals, whose average monthly wage is €328 in the public sector and €292 in the private sector, according to WageIndicator.org. A Schengen visa application now costs up to a quarter of a Moroccan applicant’s wage—24.3% for those in the public sector and 27.3% for those in the private sector.
With the increased visa fee of €90, Moroccan expenditure on visa applications could rise to €12.2 million.
Moroccans Rank Fourth in Most Rejected Visas for 2023
In 2023, Moroccans filed 591,401 visa applications, ranking fifth internationally for the most visas filed, as per Schengen Visa Statistics. The visa application rate for Moroccans increased by 40%, from 423,000 to almost 600,000, leading to more visa denials.
However, the rejection rate in 2023 was slightly lower than in the previous year, indicating an increase in approved visas. In 2022, 28.2% of visa applications were rejected, while in 2023, the rejection rate was 23.06%.