Africa is courted for its minerals, markets and votes, yet its citizens find it harder to travel. Western visa offices refuse Africans far more often than others. At the same time, some other governments hand out visas and waivers freely. Africans should ask why, and what the invitation really asks of them.
The numbers behind the frustration
A study comparing Schengen refusals found that while globally one in six applications is rejected, one in two African applicants is. Comoros, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Ghana had the highest EU visa rejection rates in 2024, above 45 percent each. In 2024, Africans lost over $70 million in rejected Schengen visa fees, with 45.3% of Nigerian and 44.5% of Ghanaian applications denied. Ghanaian applicants alone lost over $2 million that year.
The pattern follows wealth: the lower a country's GDP per capita, the higher its Schengen rejection rate. The founder of the LAGO Collective said the poorest countries pay the richest ones for not getting visas, and called this evidence of built-in bias. A South African lecturer in the same report argued that the process is shaped more by historical patterns than by outright prejudice.
The official reason, and its limits
Governments cite the risk of overstay and irregular migration. But Henley & Partners' analysis says overstay alone cannot account for the higher African rejection rates, and that passport strength and income cannot fully explain the gap either, pointing to lower rejection rates for India and Turkey. Something more than risk management is at work.
The author's argument
My reading, offered as opinion, is that Western policy welcomes African raw materials but not African people. Critical minerals are the subject of intense competition between the major powers, and Africa has been described as a battleground for them. Capital and contracts move freely, while students, traders and professionals wait in queues and pay fees for refusals. Africans are asked to supply resources, not to join the labour market and the societies that consume them.
Many Africans also reject the alternative being offered, which is to go abroad to do the work that others will not do, under terms that leave them vulnerable. Our young people are not a reserve army of cheap labour, and a visa that comes with no protection is not a gift.
When a visa is too easy
Easy entry should be read with care. Ghana's foreign minister said 62 Ghanaians have died and 15 are missing after being recruited into Russia's war. Ghana's government has said it will dismantle recruitment schemes, including dark web ones.
Reports on recruited Africans describe false promises of security or logistics jobs. Ghana's August talks in Moscow also produced a visa waiver and more scholarships. Open visa policy can be real cooperation, but it can also be a pipeline. The test is what the person does after arriving.
What Africa should do
Demand reciprocity and transparency: published refusal reasons, appeal rights and refundable or capped fees.
Intra-African mobility: visa-free travel within the continent reduces dependence on outside gatekeepers.
Protect citizens abroad: license and prosecute recruitment agencies, and verify every job offer before departure.
Negotiate mobility with resources: access to critical minerals and markets should come with fair access for Africa's people.
Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), [email protected] +233555275880
Sources and References
Henley & Partners, Africa Wealth Report 2024. "Comparing visa rejection rate: Africans versus the world." https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/africa-wealth-report-2024/comparing-visa-rejection-rate-africans-versus-world
The East African / Zawya. "Africa in 'reverse remittances' as cost of visa to the West rises." https://theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business-tech/africa-in-reverse-remittances-cost-of-visa-to-the-west-rises-5524106
MyJoyOnline. "Africans lost nearly $70m to denied visa applications to Europe in 2024." https://www.myjoyonline.com/africans-lost-nearly-70m-to-denied-visa-applications-to-europe-in-2024
BusinessDay Nigeria (Jan 2025). "Africans twice as likely to be rejected for Schengen visas – report." https://businessday.ng/aviation/article/africans-twice-as-likely-to-be-rejected-for-schengen-visas-report
The Outlier (June 2025). Schengen rejection data for African applicants. https://theoutlier.co.za/charts/chart/90537
OkayAfrica. "Africans are Paying Huge
Costs for Rejected Visa Applications." https://www.okayafrica.com/africans-are-paying-huge-costs-for-rejected-visa-applications/299833
HelloSafe (Aug 2026). "Schengen visa rejection rates 2026." https://www.hellosafe.com/schengen-visa/rejection
ModernGhana. "Ghana says 62 citizens killed, 15 missing after…" https://www.modernghana.com/news/1520306/ghana-says-62-citizens-killed-15-missing-after.html
Graphic Online. "Ghana, Russia agree to stop illegal recruitment of Ghanaian youth." https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-ghana-russia-agree-to-stop-illegal-recruitment-of-ghanaian-youth.html
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