African countries lost over €60 million (about $67.5 million) in 2024 alone through rejected Schengen visa applications, according to new analysis from the LAGO Collective, a London-based research and arts organization. Despite paying non-refundable fees, most applicants received nothing in return but denial.
LAGO, which has been monitoring European short-term visa data since 2022, found that Africa remains the continent most affected by these losses. In 2023, applicants from African nations paid an estimated €100 million in visa fees that yielded no entry into Europe. The trend continued into 2024, underscoring the deep financial and diplomatic imbalance built into current EU visa practices.
It’s a kind of “reverse remittance,” said Marta Foresti, founder of LAGO, in an interview with Lester Kiewit. She added that the world is used to talking about aid flows from Europe to Africa, but in this case, the money is flowing the other way — from individuals in low-income countries to the treasuries of high-income nations.
The standard EU short-stay visa costs €90, regardless of whether it’s granted. In 2023 alone, the EU collected around €130 million from rejected applications, nearly 80% of it from African and Asian applicants. The 2024 figures suggest the burden on African applicants remains heavy, with countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal among the hardest hit.
CNN reported that Nigerians alone lost more than €4.5 million ($5 million) in application fees in 2024. Rejection rates for these countries often exceed 40 to 50 percent, far higher than the global average.
LAGO’s analysis shows that the poorer the country, the higher the rejection rate. While wealthier African nations like South Africa enjoy relatively higher approval rates, others face significant barriers, regardless of individual merit.
Beyond the application fee, visa rejections often come with additional personal losses. Applicants frequently lose money on travel arrangements, hotel bookings, and legal advice. Many had legitimate reasons for travel, including business trips, academic conferences, or cultural events, but were turned away by a system increasingly geared toward suspicion, not access.
Foresti noted that while each visa application is meant to be assessed on its individual merit, a broader pattern quickly emerges when you look at the data as a whole. It’s not simply a matter of paperwork, it’s about power, inequality, and the fundamental question of who is allowed the freedom to move across borders.
These high rejection rates have broader implications. They limit Africa’s access to global markets, hinder cultural exchange, and undermine international cooperation, especially as Europe calls on African nations to help manage migration flows and border returns.
With countries like Kenya and Rwanda now leading efforts toward visa-free travel within Africa, the continent is beginning to rethink its approach to mobility. But without changes in European visa policies, many Africans will continue to pay for travel that never happens.
