Moroccan Workers Face Schengen Visa Hurdles Amid European Labor Demand

Complaints from Moroccan workers about the delay in obtaining Schengen visa appointments at consulates during this period marked by a high demand for skilled labor in Europe have been observed in Facebook groups. "The process is facilitated by using intermediaries," say some Moroccan workers. But "the fees charged by the intermediaries are extremely high and are not affordable for all Moroccan workers aspiring to work in Europe," making it "difficult" to obtain appointments for the most well-known work destinations, namely France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Portugal. They also reported that "the consulates refuse requests from those under 25 to obtain a work contract (fixed-term contract)". They were told that "this will only start next September".

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"I requested a group of Moroccan workers as part of a work contract at my place, and we have been doing all the necessary procedures for months; but the problem lies in the appointment at the consulate, which has not yet been set," confides to Hespress an anonymous Moroccan employer residing in Portugal, confirming "a great difficulty" in obtaining appointments for work contracts this summer, without resorting to intermediaries. He will add: "The problem also arises for the presentation of passport documents; after fingerprinting, the majority do not receive a response from the consular services. This is another disconcerting aspect in addition to the issue of appointments".

Portugal abandoned about a month ago one of the intermediary companies that handled the appointments and adopted other systems used by countries like France and Spain. "Despite this measure taken by the Portuguese authorities, the problem of appointments is still present, not only for work contracts, assures the Moroccan employer in Portugal. It looks like a kind of blockage towards people of Moroccan nationality, while even European employers are not concerned about this situation, as long as the labor force from Pakistan and other countries almost does not encounter the same problem."

Obtaining an appointment through ordinary means "is impossible and depends a lot on luck. [...] Many have resorted to intermediaries and obtained an appointment very quickly, in just a few days," explained a Moroccan worker from the Bouarfa region, in the east of the kingdom, who has been waiting for months to get an appointment at the consulate to go to Portugal as part of a work contract. He will add: "the prices of appointments for work contract interviews have reached millions, which is not affordable for the majority to pay." Faced with the situation, he calls on the authorities to intervene to solve the appointment problem that has started to worsen this summer, which could deprive a number of Moroccan workers of their job opportunity."