Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:33pm on 12 Jun 2024,Wednesday International
UK and Schengen countries collectively earned nearly $200 million from rejected visa application fees in 2023, according to the Lago Collective. Known as ‘reverse remittances,’ these non-refundable fees disproportionately affect applicants from low and middle-income nations, particularly in Africa and Asia. With rejection rates as high as 40-50% in countries like Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria, applicants face significant financial losses. Experts argue this creates a form of visa inequality, draining money from poorer to wealthier nations. The situation is expected to worsen as Schengen visa fees increase from €80 to €90.
