Rabat – Moroccan applicants to the Schengen visa, which allows entry to the EU’s 27 countries, were rejected at a rate of 30% in 2022, one of the highest refusal rates in the world.
The newly published data by Schengen Visa Statistics on the number of short-term visa applicants for the EU showed that most of Morocco’s refusals came from France and Spain.
Over 50,000 visa applications to France were rejected, out of more than 160,000, with a rejection rate of nearly 32%.
Out of more than 200,000 applications, Spain rejected over 50,000 as well, spread over several offices across Morocco. Spain had a much lower rejection rate of 25%.
The two countries were responsible for 85% of total rejections.
While part of the reason behind the rejections from Spain and France can be chalked up to the high number of applications they receive, the latter had publicly imposed visa restrictions on Moroccan citizens since 2021.
France cut the number of visas approved for Moroccan citizens by half in 2021, citing the North African country’s refusal to receive Moroccans who are illegally residing in France.
Despite claims from French politicians and diplomats that consular relations between the two countries have been restored to normal, citizens and interest groups have continued to note a high number of rejections, as well as what many have described as humiliating treatment in visa application centers.
Moroccan associations denounced administrative shortcomings, discrimination, and misuse of personal data earlier this year.
In January, Morocco’s National Commission for the Control of the Protection of Persona ID Data (CND) said that visa and consular service provider TLSContact had violated law 09-08 for the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data.
The commission said TLS had sent video surveillance images to foreign governmental institutions without informing authorities in advance.
Read also: Moroccans Paid €3 Million for Denied Schengen Visa Applications in 2021
Visa applications and approvals have seen a climb in 2022, presumably helped by the lifting of COVID-19 related travel restrictions.
Despite the increase, Morocco has ranked as one of the states with the highest rejection rates for a second year in a row, with the 30% rate being markedly above the global rejection rate of 18%.
Out of 163 countries, only 28 have a higher rejection than Morocco. Algeria had the highest refusal rate with 48%, followed by Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau at 45.6% each.
