Schengen zone visits. How much was issued? New data of the European Commission

In 2024, the Schengen zone countries issued a total of over 9.7 million short -term visas. The most applications for such visas were submitted in China. Citizens of African countries met most often with refusal.

On Tuesday, the European Commission has published new data on applications for short -term visas entitling to enter countries Schengen zones. They show that in 2024 consulates of Schengen countries around the world received Pond 11.7 million applications, by 13.6 percent. more than in 2023 (10.3 million) and 56 percent more than in 2022 (7.5 million).

Over 9.7 million were positively considered from all the submitted applications. This means an increase in the number of visited visas by 14.1 percent. compared to the previous year. At the same time, 14.8 percent all applications have been considered negatively.

Citizens whose countries were refused visas?

Most applications for short -term visas were submitted in China (1.78 million), Turkey (1.17 million), India (1.1 million), Morocco (606.8 thousand) and Russia (606.6 thousand). Most visas were issued and successively in China (1.68 million), Turkey (993.9 thousand), India (936.7 thousand), Russia (541.8 thousand) and Saudi Arabia (470.9 thousand).

On the other hand France and Spain were the countries to which the most such conclusions flowed Germany and Italy. They spent 2.5 million, 1.3 million, 1.29 million and 1 million visas, including visiting, including visiting both one and multiple entry. Over 111 thousand were received by Polish consulates. applications, of which over 91 thousand were granted short -term visas.

The largest percentage of refusals Schengen's visa granting a visa was recorded in the case of countries such as Bangladesh (54.9 percent of negative applications), Pakistan (47.5 percent), Senegal (46.8 percent), Haiti (46.3 percent), Nigeria (45.9 percent), Ghana (45.5 percent) or Congo (43 percent).

Discrimination of African countries?

During the publication of CNN statistics, it drew attention to how high the costs were suffered by the citizens of the countries who were refused to grant the visa. The cost of a non -returnable visa fee for an adult is 90 euros. The station gives an example of Nigeria, whose citizens in 2024 lost over 4.5 million euros on unrelated visas, because the applications were rejected over 50,000. Nigerians.

CNN, citing the data of the Lago Collective organization, says that in total African countries could lose up to EUR 60 million in this way. – The poorest countries in the world pay the richest countries in the world for the fact that they do not get visas – says the founder of the organization Marta Foresti. – As in 2023, the poorer the country, the higher the percentage of rejected applications. African countries are disproportionately affected – he says, adding that in her opinion it proves “discrimination and bias” in the process.

When asked about these allegations, a spokesman for the European Commission told CNN that each application is considered by experienced officials in individual Member States, “in particular in relation to the purpose of residence, sufficient resources to persist and the applicants' will to return to the country after visiting the EU.”