Recent research has unveiled that the United Kingdom and Schengen countries have raked in millions of pounds and euros in fees from rejected visa applications originating from Pakistan.
According to a study conducted by Lago Collective, a consortium of researchers, policymakers, and designers, Pakistanis spent £5.3 million on rejected UK visa applications in 2023, with nearly 40% of applications being turned down. Similarly, around half of the Schengen visa applications from Pakistan met a similar fate, resulting in €3.344 million spent on these rejected applications.
Data from the report highlights that out of 138,152 visa applications from Pakistan in 2023, 52,927 were rejected, while 62% of applicants successfully obtained visas. EUobserver emphasized that EU governments annually earn €130 million from fees for rejected visa applications, termed as ‘reverse remittances’, with the cost of Schengen visa rejections alone amounting to €130 million in 2023.
The study identified Morocco and Algeria as the largest sources of visa applications to the EU, with rejection rates for short-term visitor visas significantly higher for low and middle-income countries, particularly from Africa. Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria face rejection rates of 40-50%. Notably, the application fee for short-term Schengen visas is €80, while for UK visas, it is £100. Countries with high rejection rates for UK visas, including Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Algeria, incurred substantial costs (£5.8 million, £5.3 million, £2.3 million, and £3.6 million, respectively).
In contrast, the Schengen visa approval rate for India remained high at approximately 85%, while for Pakistan, the approval rate stood at 50.46%, and the rejection rate for Iraq was noted at 35.23%.