UK Earns Millions from Rejected Pakistani Visa Applications in 2023

In 2023, the United Kingdom received £5.3 million in non-refundable visa application fees from Pakistani applicants, totalling approximately 1.87 billion Pakistani rupees.

According to a report by Dawn News, based on the release by the global organization Logo Collectivo, 40% of visa applications submitted by Pakistanis in 2023 were rejected.

The report’s analysis revealed that Pakistani applicants spent £53 million on these visa applications. In a similar trend, European Commission member countries rejected 50% of Pakistani visa applications, with applicants incurring costs of 33.44 million euros.

The rejection rate for short-term visa applications to both the UK and European countries of Pakistani nationals is alarmingly high at about 40%, resulting in substantial financial losses for the applicants.

According to the report, European governments accumulate approximately 130 million euros annually from rejected visa applications, referred to as “reverse remittances.” This term describes financial flows from less affluent to wealthier countries, a practice that disproportionately affects nations like Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Algeria.

This phenomenon underscores significant disparities, highlighting the financial burden shouldered by some of the world’s poorest nations through “reverse remittances,” effectively transferring wealth from poorer to richer countries.