The difficulties Senegal faces in getting a Visa appointment

Introduction

Having a Visa appointment to go to Europe has become a head-scratching issue for the population in Senegal. Applicants can stay several months to find a slot. This situation gave rise to well-organized trafficking with intermediaries for a tidy sum at the golden price for the desperate. The illicit market is the only solution for the latter.

 Visa application appointment traffic to Western countries is becoming the solution for some Senegalese. For a while, the Senegalese have been encountering more and more problems obtaining a Visa appointment. Several people are unable to get an appointment or the majority have seen a message displayed “No appointment” delivered by the VFS global site, on which appointments are booked for visa applications for France.

 Artists, students, professionals, stars, who had to go either to a meeting or an activity, or those who have to reunite with their families are obliged to pay a sum of 100,000 to 400,000 CFA (150,400 euros) without guarantee of results. Thus, the latter only do their business via WhatsApp and Messenger, and payment is made by a “mobile money” transfer. Most of these people have all the papers and have followed the step-by-step procedures, but they are missing the Visa. The VFS Global agency has reported that malicious people are defrauding travelers by offering those meeting slots in exchange for money.

Drastic measures have been taken

On the other hand, the agency amplified warnings at several points of contact: social media platforms, SMS, voice messages, at the call center, and announcements. VFS Global is a consular service provider for governments. Appointment times, processing times, and decisions regarding visa applications are the sole prerogative of the embassy or consulate concerned. Visa application processing times vary by country. Applicants are required to apply for a visa in advance and most countries accept visa applications between 3 and 6 months before the planned travel date.

 Conclusion

The new measures adopted in Senegal to facilitate obtaining a Visa have been welcomed by many customers. However, the requirement of online payment and service fees for some countries like Senegal has not been secured. This is what causes fraud and attacks. Thus, the government of Senegal intends to take measures to ensure the proper functioning of procedures for obtaining a Visa.

Moustapha Cisse

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