Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi’s interim government head, has called on European countries to open their visa centres for Bangladeshis in the capital city, Dhaka, or another nearby country, asking to move centres from New Delhi, India.
Some nationalities who need visas to travel to the Schengen Area do not have visa application centres in their respective countries, so they have to travel to another country to submit their applications. That is the case with Bangladesh, nationals of which have to travel to India for Schengen visa applications, Schengen.News reports.
The demand to move visa application centres to Dhaka follows diplomatic developments between Bangladesh and India, with the latter pledging to introduce tighter visa restrictions on Bangladeshi nationals. This situation leads to a more complicated process for the Schengen visa application of Bangladeshis.
India is currently issuing a limited number of visas to Bangladeshi nationals, and, as the Ministry of External Affairs reveals, only visas for medical and urgent matters are being approved.
We are already issuing medical visas and visas for emergency requirements. Once the law and order situation improves and the situation becomes conducive to our resumption of normal visa operations (in Bangladesh), we will do that.
Visa Hurdles Could Impact the Future of Bangladeshi Students
According to Yunus, who made the demand during a meeting with EU diplomats, visa restrictions imposed by India are putting pressure on Bangladeshi students who are uncertain about their future and that European universities are missing out on talented students.
Relocating visa offices to Dhaka or a nearby country would benefit both Bangladesh and the European Union.
Every year, thousands of Bangladeshi nationals apply for visas to European countries, many of them being students who are looking to pursue their academic careers.
According to data from UNESCO figures, over 50,000 Bangladeshi students study abroad every year, with the majority of them picking the United Kingdom as their first choice. The second and third study destinations are the United States and Australia.
Bangladeshis Filed Nearly 40,000 Schengen Visa Applications in 2023
In 2023, Bangladeshi nationals filed a total of 39,729 visa applications to the EU, with the rejection rates being quite high for these applicants.
According to statistics published by SchengenVisaInfoaround 17,015 applications were rejected, accounting for 43.3 per cent of the total applications. On the other hand, the EU’s average rejection rate stood at 16 per cent.
Italy and Sweden are some of the most popular destinations for Bangladeshis to apply for Schengen visas, 35 per cent and 28.7 per cent of all applications, respectively.