The number of Moroccan nationals having their Schengen visa applications rejected has remained high even in 2022, with Morocco being amongst the world countries with the highest rejection rates for another year in a row.
Newly published data by Schengen Visa Statistics on the number of EU short-term visa applications lodged worldwide reveal that the majority of negative decisions on Schengen visas for citizens of Morocco have been issued by two countries – France and Spain.
In 2022, Morocco was the fourth biggest market of Schengen visa applicants, with a total of 423,201 applications lodged at the EU consulates in this country, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The total number of visas filed worldwide, on the other hand, reached over 7.5 million, which is an increase of 158.7 compared to 2021, but yet, a drop of 55 per cent compared to 2019, which is taken as the basic year for comparison before the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.
While the overall rejection rate for visa applications in 2022 was 17.9 per cent, Morocco alone marked a rejection rate of 29.7 per cent, which makes it amongst the world countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates.
Even Russia, travellers from which have been banned from obtaining Schengen visas in 2022 by many of the Member States while some of the latter have even barred Russian tourists from entering, has a way lower rejection rate than Morocco at 10.2 per cent.
Only 28 Countries Have Higher Rejection Rates than Morocco, Out of 163
The 28 countries with a higher rejection rate than Morocco, out of 163, are as follows:
- Algeria – 48.2 per cent
- Tunisia – 30.3 per cent
- Nigeria – 45.6 per cent
- Pakistan – 43.0 per cent
- Ivory Coast – 29.8 per cent
- Iraq – 38.3 per cent
- Ghana – 44.2 per cent
- Cameroon – 31.7 per cent
- Democratic Republic of Congo – 33.5 per cent
- Bangladesh – 34.6 per cent
- Mali – 41.6 per cent
- Mauritania – 30.8 per cent
- Bolivia – 31.4 per cent
- Sri Lanka – 44.2 per cent
- Gabon – 30.4 per cent
- Congo – 32.3 per cent
- Madagascar – 30 per cent
- Guinea – 42.7 per cent
- Sudan – 34.1 per cent
- Guinea-Bissau – 45.6 per cent
- Nepal – 38.4 per cent
- Haiti – 43.2 per cent
- Djibouti – 36.2 per cent
- Tajikistan – 35.2 per cent
- Burundi – 36.4 per cent
- Comoros – 36.5 per cent
- Central African Republic – 32.2 per cent
- Syria – 31.5 per cent
France & Spain Are Responsible for Highest Number of Schengen Visas Rejected in Morocco
In 2022, the two countries with the highest number of visas rejected in Morocco, unsurprisingly, are France and Spain.
Out of 161,045 applications received, France rejected almost one third of them, or in total 51,498 applications. Spain, on the other hand, rejected one-fourth of the applications accepted or 50,033 out of 201,584.
This means that the two countries together are responsible for 85 per cent of total Schengen visa applications turned down in Morocco, causing hundreds of Moroccans to lose hundreds of euros in the process of application, while still being rejected.
Applying for a Schengen visa requires travellers to pay a fee of €80, in addition to other expenses applicants have as booking accommodation, obtaining other costly documents, as well as service fees imposed by third parties.
Recently, travellers have been more and more frustrated with the number of documents for a Schengen visa that they are required to submit at the visa centres, calling on the EU authorities to remove bureaucracies.
Source : Schengen Visa News
