Fed up with the current long waiting times, applicants have called on the authorities to justify the delays and, at the same time, have required that the processing time be accelerated and compensation be provided to everyone affected, EU Helpers reports.
As Morocco World News explains, local reports suggest the BLS, which is responsible for accepting Spain Schengen visa applications, in not responding to applications in a legal and timely manner.
Due to the failure of BLS to respond to applications in an appropriate manner, applicants in Tangier have complained that they are wasting large amounts of money just to obtain a Schengen visa.
A Moroccan who submitted a Spain Schengen visa application in Tangier said that despite providing all the required documents and meeting the procedures, they have been waiting for a long time to receive a response on their application.
According to the applicant, many others are also facing the same problem, with applications not being processed for up to 60 days.
Moroccan MPs Have Demanded Refunds for Denied Schengen Visas
Nationals of Morocco spent a total of €10.9 million on rejected Schengen visa applications last year. This is a 14.2 per cent increase compared to the expenditure levels of 2022.
Taking into account the large amount of money that Moroccans have wasted on rejected Schengen visas, Moroccan MPs have demanded that reimbursement be offered to everyone affected.
Data show that a Schengen visa application costs a quarter of a national wage in Morocco. According to WageIndicator.org, nationals of Morocco who work in the public sector get paid around €328 per month while those working in the private sector get paid around €292.
Considering such numbers, calculations indicate that a Schengen visa application costs Moroccans up to a quarter of their wage.
Schengen visa application expenditure for Moroccans is expected to grow even higher now that the EU is applying a new increased Schengen visa fee.
Schengen Statistics Portal reveals that Moroccans filed a total of 591,401 Schengen visa applications in 2023, ranking as the fifth nationality with most filed applications.
