136,367 Moroccan nationals had their Schengen visas refused in 2023, costing about 117 million MAD (10.9 million euros) and placing Morocco second among African countries in numbers of visa refusals.
While the Kingdom led African countries in the highest number of Schengen visa refusals in 2022, according to Schengen News, Algeria surpassed it in 2023, with the financial impact estimated to have been 13.3 million euros.
African and Asian countries typically experience high rejection rates, and they bear 90% of the costs associated with the denied visa applications, according to the data.
African nationals collectively spent 56.3 million euros on visa application fees, representing 43% of the global total in 2023.
The visa rejection rate for Moroccan nationals constituted 8.3% of the total for African countries, underscoring the significant financial burden on applicants from these regions.