EU Calls Pakistan's Nearly 50% Schengen Visa Rejection Rate Too Much

The European Union's migration chief has described Pakistan's nearly 50% Schengen visa rejection rate as "too much." EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner said improving application documents, and making legal travel easier, are responsibilities shared by both sides.

In this article we set out what he said, and what he did not put a number on. Here is everything you need to know.

Why the Schengen visa rejection rate was called too much

Brunner's remark is about the rate, which is given as nearly 50%, not as a single exact percentage. He also acknowledged the difficulties Pakistanis face in securing visa appointments. The two remedies he named are better application documents and easier legal travel, and he put both on both sides.

He did not list which Schengen states refuse the most applications, and he did not set a target rate.

Why it matters

A rejection near one in two means a Pakistani applicant is about as likely to be refused as accepted, on the figure he was discussing. The appointment problem is separate: a person can fail to get a slot before the file is even read.

• The speaker is EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner
• The rate is nearly 50%
• His description of that rate is "too much"
• Documents are one shared responsibility
• Easier legal travel is the other
• Visa appointments are hard to secure

What this remark does not decide

1. An exact rejection percentage.
2. Which member state refuses the most files.
3. A new appointment system.
4. A date by which the rate should fall.

What happens next

A published breakdown by country, or a change in how appointments are given, would show whether the remark leads anywhere. We will update this article if either is announced.

Our verdict

Magnus Brunner called Pakistan's nearly 50% Schengen visa rejection rate "too much." He said documents and legal travel are a shared responsibility, and he acknowledged how hard visa appointments are to get.

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