After sponsoring a massive campaign against irregular migration to discourage the influx of undocumented migrants into their countries, western nations and their allies led the campaign for migrants to take the regular pathway considered safe and dignifying. But laudable as this may sound, the route appears to have become a conduit pipe for extorting unsuspecting migrants as the visa application charges have continued to rise in proportion with the number of visa applications rejected. Nigerians and other African applicants are estimated to lose billions of dollars annually to the exploitative visa business, INNOCENT DURU reports.

Jeremiah Adelu was elated when he received invitations to participate in international conferences in Spain and France. The invitation, for him, was an opportunity to sharpen his skills and enhance his career growth.

Armed with all the necessary documents and financial muscle to embark on the trip, Jerry, as he is fondly called by friends, went ahead to file his application, upbeat that his submission would be approved.

He said: “I applied for Schengen visas through both the Spanish and the French embassies to attend the international conferences.

“The application process was highly demanding, particularly in terms of the documentation required.”

As part of the application requirements, he said, “I submitted a bank statement showing a balance of over N15 million and provided additional proof of funds (POF) to demonstrate my financial capacity.

“I also gathered and submitted all the required supporting documents, including official letters, a leave approval letter from my employer, conference invitation letters, and other relevant documentation requested by the embassies.”

Despite meeting these requirements and applying for a legitimate conference, however, Jerry’s visa applications were rejected for a reason that left him mystified.

“The reason provided was not related to insufficient financial resources or incomplete documentation,” he said in an emotion laden voice.

The embassies, he said, stated that they were not convinced that “I would leave the Schengen Area after completing my visit. That was their reason for denying my applications.”

Jerry noted that the refusal was particularly disappointing because “I had received invitation letters for the conferences and had made significant financial and personal preparations for the trips.

“In addition, the processing time exceeded the expected timeline.

Applicants are generally informed that visa decisions are made within approximately 15 working days.

“However, in my case, I waited for more than two months before my passport was returned.

“After this prolonged waiting period, I discovered that my application had been rejected.”

Jerry’s case is just one in the hordes of visa applicants denied the opportunity of using the regular pathway to accomplish their professional dreams on the flimsy excuse that they may not return after the engagement.

While Jerry’s applications had only been rejected twice, checks showed that some applicants’ submissions have been rejected for as many as five times or more.

This raises questions about the sincerity of nudging migrants into taking the regular migration route. With every application rejected, hundreds of thousand naira, running to over a million naira is lost.

Findings showed that Nigerians lost N3.564 trillion in three years to Shenzhen visa rejection between 2023 and 2025. Checks also revealed that Africans, led by Nigerians, lost about $70 million to denied visa applications to Europe in 2024 alone. History

Marta Foresti, founder of LAGO Collective, a London-based research and organisation, described this as a situation where “the poorest countries in the world pay the richest countries in the world money for not getting visas.”

The hypocrisy of the visa application process is further seen in the rejection of academics’ applications to attend educational programmes meant to promote intellectual development globally.

Dr. Ngozi Louis Uzomah, an academic and player in the migration sector with fellowship at the Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada, has had this bitter pill forced down his throat on three critical occasions. His application for a UK visa was rejected once in 2022 and Canada visa application twice in 2024.

“It is painful when you want to contribute to a body of knowledge globally but are denied for no good reasons,” he said. It took most of my three- month salary to travel to and fro Abuja and Nsukka where my university is located.

“Like many Nigerians seeking a visa, I don’t live in Lagos or Abuja where the embassies and government missions are located.

“This means I had to pay for hotel accommodation, buy food away from my family budget.

“That also means my children are affected because they stopped getting the usual everyday gift from me... as the money is used in visa processing like procuring LGA document, traveling to get statement from the bank, paying for the processing of the bank statement, among others.”

Nigerians who have lost life savings to visa applications are innumerable. The sad story echoes across the length and breadth of the nation.

A cleric, Pastor Ogbeide, who was selected to participate in an empowerment programme in Italy, shared his disappointment with our correspondent.

His words: “I applied to travel to Italy but was denied after spending so much money processing the application. You pay for the visa fee and also have to pay for booking an appointment.

“After paying all this money, you have to submit genuine documents. I submitted my documents. I was among the delegates sent to Italy for a programme.”

In spite of his selection having the backing of his state government, Ogbeide was shocked when the embassy turned him down.

“They suspected my document which was endorsed by my state’s first lady. The contact details were those of the first lady’s office.

“The letter of invitation by the Italian organisation was also attached but they denied it,” he said.

If he could rationalise the rejection of his visa application on grounds of being a first time applicant, Ogbeide was dazed to find that a colleague of his who had been travelling to Italy and coming back was also denied.

They claimed they weren’t sure he would return home if they should grant him a visa. This is somebody who had travelled to Italy many times and came back,” he said.

Kingsley, another applicant who had his submission rejected, described his experience as a costly journey that ended in disappointment.

His words: “Two years ago, I applied for a Spanish tourist visa with the hope of visiting Spain and experiencing its culture and attractions.

“I live in Benin City, Edo State, so attending my visa appointment meant traveling all the way to Lagos, where the Spanish Visa Application Centre is located.

“The journey itself was stressful and expensive. Since I was unfamiliar with Lagos, I had to book a hotel, pay for transportation, and cover my feeding throughout my stay.

“Navigating the city was challenging, and despite the distractions around me, I remained focused because I knew how important the appointment was to me.”

On arriving at the visa application centre, Kingsley encountered an unexpected challenge.

He said: “I was informed that I could not pay the visa application fee through a bank transfer. Payment had to be made using an ATM card. Unfortunately, I did not have one with me.

“Although I had enough money in my bank account, I was unable to access it in the required form. I appealed to several people around me to help by allowing me to transfer the money to them so they could pay with their ATM card, but understandably, no one was willing to trust a stranger.

“I was stranded for quite some time, and what should have been a straightforward appointment became unnecessarily stressful.

“Eventually, one kind individual agreed to help me. I transferred the money to him, and he used his ATM card to complete the payment on my behalf.

“While I appreciated his kindness, I could not help wondering why applicants were not allowed to pay online or through a direct bank transfer.

“In today’s increasingly cashless economy, introducing more flexible payment options would save applicants significant stress and inconvenience.

“After completing the application, I chose to have my passport delivered to Edo State rather than returning to Lagos for collection. This decision was made to avoid another costly and stressful trip.

“When my passport finally arrived, I opened it with excitement and hope, but instead, I was met with disappointment. My visa application had been refused.

“The reason given was that the authorities were not satisfied that I would leave the Schengen Area before the expiration of my visa. This came as a surprise because I had applied strictly for a tourist visa and had every intention of returning to Nigeria after my visit.” History

Aside from the financial losses they suffer after their applications are rejected, many applicants, especially those who have presented genuine documents to travel for the purpose of education or international conferences meant to enhance their career growth grapple with an emotional crisis that leaves many of them shattered.

“The delay, combined with the eventual refusal, had a significant emotional and financial impact.

“I had already made preparations for my trip and was expecting to travel once the visa was issued.

“Receiving a refusal after such a long wait was deeply discouraging and diminished my confidence in the process.

“Overall, my experience highlights several challenges within the visa application process, including extensive documentation requirements, lengthy processing times, the absence of any refund mechanism following visa refusal, and the emotional and financial consequences of delayed decisions.

“Addressing these issues could improve applicants’ experiences and strengthen confidence in regular migration systems,” Jerry argued.

Decrying his sad experience, Ogbeide said: “I can’t calculate how much I spent at the end of the whole process.

“To book an appointment cost over N300,000. Visa fee was over N140,000. This excludes the cost of transportation to Lagos, hotel accommodation, among others,” he noted.

Beyond the disappointment of the refusal itself, Kingsley said the financial impact was devastating.

He said: “I had spent a substantial amount on the application process, including professional assistance, visa processing, transportation between Benin and Lagos, hotel accommodation, feeding, and other administrative expenses.

“In total, the costs ran into millions of naira, all of which were lost after the refusal.

“This experience left me emotionally drained and financially burdened. It also discouraged me from attempting another visa application in the future.

Applicants demand refund of percentage of payment after rejection

Worried about the volume of money lost to visa application rejection, applicants have begun to demand for a refund of a certain percentage of the payments.

Jerry said: “After paying the visa application fees and associated service charges, I received no refund following the refusal. This can discourage genuine applicants from reapplying.

“While I understand that administrative costs are incurred during visa processing, introducing a partial refund policy, such as reimbursing 30–50% of the application fee in cases of refusal, could help reduce the financial burden on applicants and encourage continued engagement with legal migration pathways.”

Speaking in the same vein, Kingsley said: “Looking back, I believe there are areas where the visa application process could be improved. Applicants should have access to convenient electronic payment options, including online payments and bank transfers, to reduce unnecessary hardship. In addition, where an application is refused, consideration could be given to refunding at least part of the visa application fee or administrative charges, especially in cases where applicants have complied with all the required procedures.

“Such measures would make the process fairer and reduce the financial burden on genuine travellers.

“My experience serves as a reminder that behind every visa application is a person who invests significant time, effort, hope, and financial resources.

“A more transparent, accessible, and applicant-friendly process would make a meaningful difference for many people.”

Failure of regular pathway fuels irregular migration

Following the spate of visa application rejection, experts are of the opinion that the irregular migration that the western world is running away from may end up becoming an inevitable option.

Speaking on this, Dr Ngozi said: “I think when people are not issued visas to travel, many of them will find alternative ways of achieving their aspirations, including irregular and risky means.”

His position was echoed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a department of the United Nations Secretariat, established by the UN General Assembly on December 20, 1993. The organisation, in a post on its website said pathways for regular migration are an essential component of human rights-based migration governance and a key tool to prevent and address situations of vulnerability across the migration journey.

“In the Global Compact for Migration, the 2030 Agenda, and Pact for the Future, member states have recognised the need to facilitate safe and regular migration through policies that ensure the safety, dignity and human rights of all people on the move, including by enhancing and diversifying the availability and flexibility of pathways for regular migration.

“Yet when regular pathways are not available, accessible or secure, people on the move find themselves in situations of vulnerability, exposed to the risks of irregular journeys and to the marginalization, exploitation and uncertainty arising from irregular migration status.”

Statistics of visa rejection

Findings revealed that visa issuance fell below pre-pandemic levels in 2024. While 15 million visas were granted in 2019, 9.7 million were granted in 2024.

Nigerians Schengen visa rejection rate rose to 45.9% in 2024, placing it among the top 10 African countries with the highest refusal rates.

According to the European Commission, this marks an increase from 40.8% in 2023 and positions Nigeria as third-highest globally after Bangladesh and Senegal.

According to Schengen Tracker, Nigeria’s rejection rate is more than three times the global average of 14.8%.

A report by triplonia.com, noted that rejected Schengen visa applications in 2025 cost Nigerian travellers millions of euros, turning visa fees into a silent but significant financial drain.

The report stated that in 2025, an estimated 115,000 Nigerians applied for Schengen visas. Based on recent trends and official data from previous years, approximately 45% of these applications were rejected, translating to about 55,000 denied applicants.

Multiplying the number of rejected applicants 55,000 by visa fee of €110 per applicant, the report showed that €6,050,000 amounting to N9,559,000,000 (at N1580 exchange rate) was lost to just applications last year for Schengen countries alone.

Visa fees are only part of the story, the report said, adding: “Most applicants also pay for mandatory and often non-refundable services, including Visa application center (VFS) service charges; travel and health insurance; document preparation and notarization; transportation to embassies; flight or hotel reservations (sometimes partially non-refundable).

A conservative estimate of these extra expenses per applicant is €90–€100. When added together, the numbers become staggering.

It estimated the total losses in 2025, as follows:

“Visa fees: €6.05 million, other application-related costs: ~€5.2 million. Estimated total Nigerian losses in 2025: €11.2 – €11.5 million. That is over ?19 billion at current exchange rates lost without any travel, business, or educational benefit.”

Comparing the 2025 losses with previous years, the report showed that Nigerians lost about €3.4 million in rejected visa fees in 2023 with the loss rising approximately to €4.5 million in 2024. “The 2025 losses surged past €11 million due to higher fees and rising rejection rates. In just two years, the financial damage more than tripled.”

The total money lost by Nigerians to Schengen visa application crosses N30 billion at an exchange rate of N1,580 to a euro.

UK Home Office rejects 1.34 million Nigerian visa applications over 21 years

The UK Home Office rejected 1,344,595 Nigerian visa applications between the first quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2026, placing Nigeria second only to India for total UK visa refusals.

Home Office entry clearance data published in June 2026 shows Nigerians received 2,723,558 visas out of roughly 4.09 million decisions during that period.

According to Visaverge, the cumulative refusal rate stood at 33.1%, more than double the UK global average of 14.8%.

UK visa fees rose from £100 to £115 in July 2024 ($134 to $154) and then to £127 ($170) in April 2026. There was a 13.5 per cent spike in the cost of rejected visas to £50.7 million ($68.8 million).

This year, the UK jerked the short-term visit visa from £127 to £135, while the student visa increased from £524 to £558. Nigerians seeking permanent residency will pay £3,226, up from £3,029, and those applying to naturalise as British citizens will pay £1,709, up from £1,605. History

Canada rejects 86 per cent of Nigerians’ application

Between November 14, 2025 and March 31, 2026, Canada rejected 86 per cent of visa applications filed by Nigerians. Six hundred and seventy five of the 785 applications were refused.

The data focused on countries that submitted at least 100 World Cup-related visitor visa requests.

According to figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Nigeria, and several other African countries recorded some of the highest denial rates among all nations that applied for temporary travel documents linked to the just concluded FIFA world cup. Over N120 million of visa fee excluding other payments was lost within that short period.

Why visa rejection is high for Nigerians -Travel agent

Managing Director and Executive Director of Evanico Travels and Tours, Edeh Peter Obumuneme, blamed the rising spate of visa rejection on the attitude of Nigerians abroad.

According to him, “Why Nigerians are being denied visas is because when they travel, many of them don’t come back. A former minister sought asylum in Canada last year. Just imagine an ex-minister seeking asylum. Many people who went to Canada with visitor visas didn’t come back.

“In America, Nigerians overstay their visa more than any other country in the world. Because of all these, countries don’t give visas to Nigerians.

“When they give to the rich, they go and don’t come back, when they give to the poor, they go and don’t come back. Nigerians have a bad record when it comes to travelling because they don’t come back.

“Secondly, the economic situation of the country is making people to move in droves. The world is aware of this and it affects the issuance of visas.

“The third point is that Nigerians have a high record of violence abroad. Those in South Africa, UK, Cambodia, etc are into cultism. You will see Nigerians stabbing and killing people including their spouses. History

“Another point is the spate of failed marriages. When you go to Germany, you will see Nigerians getting married today and divorcing tomorrow.

“All these are on record. They form part of why many countries are not giving visas to Nigerians.”

The European consulates also cite several common reasons for declining Schengen visa applications from Nigerian and other African applicants.

The reasons include:

* Incomplete or inconsistent documentation: Missing or contradictory paperwork remains a primary cause of rejection.

* Doubts about return intention: Consular officers must be convinced applicants will return home after their visit.

* Lack of prior international travel: First-time travelers often face greater scrutiny.

* Weak ties to home country: Insufficient evidence of employment, family, or property connections.

* Insufficient financial means: Inability to demonstrate adequate funds for the trip. (The Nation)