This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
Published on July 17, 2019, a parliamentary report exposed the UK's visitor visa system as inaccessible and biased against Africans.
The report, which gathered evidence over six months, found that 27% of African visitor visa requests made between 2016 and 2018 were refused, compared to the overall refusal rate of 12%.
For Middle Eastern and Asian applicants, the refusal rate was 11%, while North Americans faced a 4% refusal rate.
According to the report, many Africans with valid reasons for visiting the UK, such as businesspeople, academics, and performers, are unable or unwilling to travel due to the entry barriers.
The report also raised concerns about the Home Office's use of a risk-assessment algorithm, which grades applications as green, amber, or red based on their level of risk.
Border staff were criticized for questionable and sometimes offensive reasons for refusals.
The report identifies the real costs to British business, academia, arts, and culture from the current system and puts forward recommendations to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
