The United Kingdom and Schengen Countries rejected 40% and 50% of visa applications respectively filed by Pakistanis last year, yet raising a hefty amount of £5.3 million and €3.344 million from them in rejected fees as ‘reverse remittances’.
The analysis released by Lago Collective appears to substantiate the concerns of hundreds of Pakistani students aspiring to get admissions in European Universities. If any of them secures the admission in any University therein after paying an abundant amount of money and even his first semester goes underway, the student still remains deprived of being issued a visa, causing him both financial and educational loses.
For UK visa applications, Countries with high rejection rates include Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria.
“Visa inequality has very tangible consequences and the world’s poorest pay the price. You can think of the costs of rejected visas as ‘reverse remittances’, money flowing from poor to rich countries,” said Marta Foresti who along with Otho Mantegazza compiled the analysis at Lago Collective.
“We never hear about these costs when discussing aid or migration, it is time to change that,” Marta Foresti said as reported by Dawn.
“The rejection rate for short-term visa applications from Pakistan is very high, at approximately 40pc for both Schengen Countries and the UK, resulting in very significant costs for all involved. This is surprising given the multiple ties between Pakistan, Europe and the UK.
“Yet the challenges faced by Pakistani nationals to reach Europe through legal means became tragically clear a year ago when hundreds died in the Greece boat capsize. People have no choice but to resort to dangerous journeys,” Foresti added.
Meanwhile, according to the EUobserver, the total sum is likely to increase in 2024 since the visa application fee to travel to the EU will increase from €80 to €90 for adults on 11 June following a recent decision by the EU Commission.
The Chief Editor of Dispatch News Desk (DND) Agha Iqrar Haroon was of the view that since bureaucracy and diplomats have no issue for visas for their friends and families; therefore, they give a damn to this issue and always avoid to answer this such questions and do not raise this issue to European Countries or UK while citing Geneva norms of diplomacy.
“Pakistan’s Foreign Office always rejects to address questions regarding high rate of visa rejections by European Countries and European Embassies don’t entertain such queries,” Agha Iqrar stated, further saying that Schengen Countries even reject sponsorship visas claiming that applicant would not come back although in sponsorship visa the host is fully responsible for ensuring exit of the guest.
Agha Iqrar Haroon also noted that these Countries never share information about how many visas they have given to Pakistani in one year and their response is always arrogant id ever ask such questions.
In our region maximum visas are granted to Afghans though they have long background of skipping illegal business money laundering and terrorism, he observed.
It was also noted that Afghan Nationals “occupy” most of the time slots of visa interviews in European Embassies located in Islamabad and deprive the Pakistani citizens of their due right to access or benefits from the embassies for their visas. A Special Corner Facility is also available to “Afghan” citizens in the name of “IOM” at the Diplomatic Enclave Bus Shuttle Station.
