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Marrakech – According to the latest data from SchengenVisaInfo compiled by Schengen News, Moroccan citizens have the highest chances of obtaining a Schengen visa from specific EU countries.
The study reveals that in 2023, Switzerland, Poland, France, Portugal, and Czechia had the highest approval rates for Moroccan visa applicants.
Switzerland tops the list as the Schengen Member State most likely to grant visas to Moroccan applicants, with an approval rate of 83.9% in 2023.
Switzerland approved 3,415 visas for Moroccans and has the third highest rate for multiple-entry visas granted to this nationality at 82%, falling behind Germany (85.19%) and Austria (89.2%).
Poland comes in second, with an approval rate of 83.1% for Moroccan visa applications in 2023. However, Poland is not as popular among Moroccan applicants, receiving only 693 visa applications.
While approval rates were high, Poland has the lowest share of multiple-entry visas granted to Moroccans, with only 62 out of 576 approved applications (10.76%).
France, the most popular destination for Moroccan visa applicants, ranks third with an approval rate of 81.3%.
In 2023, 11.8% of all visa applications received by France were filed by Moroccans, resulting in 251,950 visas granted.
France also issued a significant number of multiple-entry visas to Moroccans, with 134,153 (52.25%) of all approved visas being multiple-entry.
Portugal and Czechia round out the top five, with approval rates of 80.05% and 75.60%, respectively. While these countries have high approval rates for Moroccan applicants, they receive fewer applications compared to France.
Out of the 591,401 Schengen visa applications filed by Moroccan passport holders in 2023, 437,029 were approved, representing an overall approval rate of 73.90%.
Morocco has consistently been a top source country for Schengen visa applications, particularly for France.
Read also: Schengen Visas and the Neocolonial Violation of Moroccans’ Right to Travel
In 2023, Morocco positioned itself as the number one source of French visa applications, with 310,057 applications filed.
Despite France’s decision to slash the number of visas granted to Moroccan applicants by 50% in 2021, Moroccans continue to show a strong desire to travel to the country. The French ambassador announced in late 2023 that all visa restrictions had been lifted.
However, the same website shows that Moroccans are the most rejected applicants for Spanish visas.
Spain rejected 51,000 visa applications filed by Moroccan nationals in 2023, making this the highest number of visa requests denied for the year.
More than a quarter of all requests (27.1%) filed by Moroccan nationals to Spain received a negative response.
Moroccans accounted for 13.3% of all visa applications received by Spain and also 20.3% of all rejected visas.
Alarming rise of the black market for appointments
However, the surge in visa demand has given rise to concerns about the emergence of a black market for visa appointments.
The Moroccan newspaper “Assabah” reported on August 7 that intermediaries have been exploiting loopholes in the online appointment system, using advanced software to book and resell appointments at exorbitant prices, reaching up to MAD 10,000 (approximately $1000) on Friday, August 2.
Ayoub Maftah El Kheir, a member of the Moroccan Observatory for Digital Sovereignty, explained that these intermediaries rely on sophisticated “robots” operated by highly skilled hackers to circumvent the security measures put in place by the companies managing the visa appointment process.
The black market for visa appointments employs various methods, including the use of advanced software to seize appointments, collusion with intermediaries, and the exploitation of vulnerabilities in the system.
The issue prompts calls for serious and sustainable measures to address it, including strengthening electronic surveillance, developing more effective booking systems, enhancing international cooperation, and launching awareness campaigns to educate citizens about risks and legal application processes.
Also, as diplomatic relations between Morocco, France, and Spain continue to improve, with French and Spanish officials expressing their commitment to strengthening ties at all levels, the question remains whether this rapprochement will translate into a resolution of the consular crisis and alleviate the frustrations faced by Moroccan visa applicants.
