Schengen Visa Scandal: Moroccan Applicants Face Extortion from Black Market Intermediaries

These intermediaries in charge of making appointments for Schengen visa applications reserve all available slots to then resell them on the black market at exorbitant prices up to 10,800 dirhams (1,000 euros), reports Atalayar, specifying that Moroccan students enrolled in European universities are the most affected by this fraud.

This is not the first time that this illegal practice of intermediaries in the appointment booking process has been denounced. In May, Schengen Visa Info had reported the use of automated "bots" that took all the available free appointments. The phenomenon is growing, as the multiple booking of appointments or their sale is not considered a punishable act.

Moreover, several Moroccans are being denied Schengen visas. In 2022, 30% of the more than 423,000 visa applications filed by Moroccans were rejected, mainly by Spain and France. Nevertheless, Moroccans remain the main beneficiaries of French visas.