Migration: 7,264 short-stay visa applications for Belgium revealed in the DRC in 2021
In 2019, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranked third among the countries with the highest number of visa applicants behind China with 42,402 applicants and India with 31,157. In 2020, the DRC ranked at the top of visa requesting countries, ahead of India (6,212 requests) and the Philippines (3,978). In 2021, the DRC ranks second behind India (7426) and ahead of the Philippines (4630).
For the Foreign Office, the number of short-stay visa applications has thus decreased. The consequences of the health crisis on international travel, explain the institution, are thus visible for the second consecutive year, even if there has been a tremor since September 2021, probably linked to the relaxations granted in favor of travelers with a pattern. complete vaccine.
In its report, the IB defines a short stay as a stay whose maximum duration cannot exceed 90 days in any 180-day period. This is, among other things, a visit to family or friends, a tourist stay or a trip of a professional, commercial, sporting, cultural or humanitarian nature. Indeed, the report indicates that Belgian embassies and consulates are authorized to issue the visa when the applicant provides, with documentation, that he meets the conditions for entry into the Schengen area. During a normal year, posts require approximately 80% of short-stay visa applications (visa application and issuance). On the other hand, the report indicates, the decision to refuse a visa is always taken and motivated by the Foreign Office. The criteria for examining a visa application and the grounds for applying for a visa that may be refused are defined in the Community visa code.
Belgian embassies and consulates consult the Immigration Office when the file presented does not allow the issuance of the visa, i.e. when the application does not meet one or more conditions for entry into the Schengen area, or when the embassy or consulate has doubts about one or other element of the file and considers that an in-depth examination of the application is necessary. Diplomatic posts also consult the Foreign Office when the applicant is reported (security risk). The decision to refuse a visa, it is explained, is always taken by the Foreign Office, which is why the number of refusal decisions taken by the Foreign Office is greater than the number of approval decisions.
More than half of visas granted
In 2021, out of the 7,264 Congolese requests sent to a Belgian diplomatic post, 4,505 visa requests received a positive response, while 1,497 requests were refused, i.e. 20.60% of requests. The number of decisions taken by the foreigners’ office concerns 390 visa applications by Congolese. The Foreign Office gave its approval for 260 visas, it decided to refuse 1403 requests from the DRC, while 49 requests remained without object.
In 2020, 4179 visas were granted to Congolese applicants, while 3591 applications were refused, or 46.22%. In 2019, of the 26,646 visa applications from Congolese, 18,599 visas were granted and 5,996 were refused, i.e. 24.38%. As for long-stay visa applications for students in 2021, applications from the DRC stood at 586. In addition, 41 humanitarian visa applications from the DRC were refused.
Moreover, with 174 naturalized Belgians in 2021, the Congolese rank in the top 5 nationalities for naturalized persons, occupying second place, behind Morocco (332 people) and ahead of Armenia (158), Kosovo (130) and Guinea (127). In 2020, the DRC was in fifth place in this category, with 232 naturalized Belgians, behind Morocco (234), Kosovo (260), Serbia (286) and Armenia (500).