This archive report was first published on 18 July 2019.
On July 18, 2019, a UK parliamentary report highlighted the difficulties faced by Africans seeking visas to visit the UK.
The report, which forms part of an ongoing inquiry into high visa refusals for Africans, criticized the Home Office's treatment of visa applicants from Africa.
According to the report, there are only 32 Visa Application Centres (VACs) serving a continent of 1.3 billion people across 57 countries.
Applicants often have to travel hundreds of miles or even to another country to submit their applications, leading to delays and difficulties in obtaining visa appointments.
The report also criticized the Home Office's unwillingness to provide updates on pending applications, making the process 'arduous, time-consuming and expensive' for many applicants.
The MPs' report highlighted the inconsistent application of the 'genuine visitor' test, with divergent decisions being taken in identical cases and different decisions being made when identical re-applications were submitted.
The report also pointed out that the UK's Immigration Rules require applicants to have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs during their visit, but many applications are rejected due to insufficient funds, even when all costs have been guaranteed by a sponsor.
The report noted that this has prevented churches, NGOs, charities, development agencies, and academic institutions from bringing people to the UK to participate in specific events, effectively discriminating against those with lower incomes.
