THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The visa rejection rate rose again last year. The German foreign missions mainly rejected applications from African countries. Parliamentarians of the Left in the federal parliament criticize the visa practice.
Germany once again rejected more visa applications from foreigners last year. While the rejection rate was 6.7 percent in 2016, it rose to 8.5 percent last year. In 2015, the rejection rate was 6.1%. The figures were revealed by the Foreign Office at the request of the Left party in the federal parliament, said a group spokesman on Thursday in Berlin.
Visa applications from African countries and the main countries of origin of refugees in Germany were most frequently rejected by the German diplomatic missions. According to the information of the Foreign Office, almost 43 percent of applications from Nigeria, 40 percent from Angola, 36 percent from Iraq and 28 percent from Afghanistan received a negative decision.
Overall, German diplomats however approved 2.4 million visas last year compared to 2.1 million in 2016.
Left MP Sevim Dağdelen criticized that visitors’ visa applications were rejected even if invitations and binding letters of guarantee to cover all costs were submitted.
“The constant assumption of a lack of so-called readiness to return is in practice the main reason for the refusal,” said the deputy faction leader. “The federal government could solve the problem with simple instructions here.”
Sola Jolaoso
