5 ways new visa rules could affect Nigerians, other Africans traveling to Europe

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Calls for tighter border controls and changes to free movement in Europe are raising concerns about how future travel could affect Africans who visit, study, work or live in European countries.

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The debate has intensified following a rise in irregular migration to Spain, with about 49,000 migrants from Morocco reportedly arriving in the country.

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French presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen has called for France to strengthen its borders and restrict free movement within the Schengen Area to European Union nationals.

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In a post on X, she wrote: “Faced with the massive and coordinated influx of migrants into Spain, encouraged by the Spanish government, France must without delay strengthen controls at its borders. And in 2027, we will put an end to this madness by reserving Schengen free movement for EU nationals.”

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While the proposal remains a political position rather than an official European Union policy, any major changes to Europe’s border and travel system could have implications for Africans.

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Here are five ways such changes could affect Africans:

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1. More restrictions on movement in Europe

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The Schengen Area allows people to travel between most participating European countries without routine internal border checks.

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Many Africans who legally live in EU countries can currently move within the area under the conditions attached to their residence permits.

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If free movement were restricted to EU nationals, some non-EU residents could face additional checks or travel requirements.

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2. Travelling to Europe could become harder

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Africans already face significant challenges when applying for European visas.

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According to Schengen visa statistics, six of the 10 countries with the highest visa rejection rates globally are in Africa.

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Comoros recorded a 61.3 per cent rejection rate, followed by Guinea-Bissau at 51 per cent, Ghana at 47.5 per cent, Mali at 46.1 per cent, Sudan at 42.3 per cent and Senegal at 41.2 per cent.

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Further restrictions could make travel more difficult for Africans visiting Europe for tourism, business, education or family purposes.

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3. African residents in Europe could face tighter controls

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The impact would not necessarily be limited to people applying for visas from Africa.

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Millions of Africans living legally in European countries hold residence, work, student or family-reunification permits that can give them varying degrees of mobility within the Schengen Area.

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Changes to the rules could therefore affect how easily some non-EU residents travel between European countries.

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4. Visa costs could become an even bigger concern

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The financial burden of visa applications is already substantial for many African travellers.

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Research by London-based mobility think tank LAGO Collective found that African applicants lost nearly €60 million ($67.5 million) in non-refundable Schengen visa fees in 2024 after their applications were rejected.

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In 2023, Schengen countries reportedly generated about $906 million from visa applications, with around $145 million coming from rejected applications.

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5. Africa-Europe travel could face greater uncertainty

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African countries are among the biggest sources of Schengen visa applications.

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Morocco submitted 591,401 applications in 2023, making it the fourth-largest source globally. Algeria recorded 474,032 applications, while South Africa, Tunisia and Nigeria also ranked among the largest applicant countries.

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With migration from Africa expected to continue growing, changes to European border and visa policies could have wider implications for tourism, education, business, employment and family travel.

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For now, however, the proposal to reserve free movement for EU nationals remains a political pledge and is not an official EU policy. Any changes would require decisions at the relevant national and European levels.

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