Africans Lost Nearly $70M to Denied European Visas in 2024

A recent analysis has revealed that Africans lost a staggering 60 million euros (approximately $67.5 million) in 2024 due to rejected visa applications to Europe’s Schengen Area, sparking outrage and debate over fairness in the visa process.

According to the LAGO Collective, a UK-based research group, rejection rates were especially high in African nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal—where up to 50% of Schengen visa applications were denied.

Each short-stay visa application costs €90 (around $100) and is non-refundable, regardless of approval. In Nigeria alone, over 50,000 applications were rejected, resulting in nearly €4.5 million ($5 million) lost by hopeful travelers.

Among those affected was Joel Anyaegbu, a gaming consultant in Lagos, who was denied twice by the Spanish consulate despite submitting extra documentation. “I felt humiliated,” he told CNN. “I had to cancel important business meetings in Barcelona.”

The LAGO Collective’s founder, Marta Foresti, described the trend as “reverse remittances,” where wealth flows from poorer African nations to wealthier European states—without any service in return. “The poorer the applicant’s country, the higher the rejection rate,” Foresti noted.

Cases like that of Jean Mboulé, a Cameroonian born in France but living in South Africa, have fueled claims of discrimination.

Despite being financially stable and a frequent traveler, Mboulé was twice denied a visa. He successfully sued the French consulate and received compensation—though he ultimately spent his vacation elsewhere.

The European Commission defended its procedures, stating that each application is reviewed individually by trained officers and assessed based on intent to return, financial means, and documentation quality.

Yet many Africans say the system feels opaque and biased. Julius Musimeenta, a Ugandan engineer, had his entire family’s visa application rejected, even though they had traveled to Europe before.

Visa fees to the UK also rose, and Africans spent £50.7 million ($68.8 million) on rejected applications in 2024 alone.