Morocco-Europe relations
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Unauthorised brokers obstructing Schengen visas

Morocco's system for allocating Schengen visa application appointments has recently been hijacked by unauthorised brokers. Moroccans are finding travelling to Europe increasingly difficult, despite the lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2022
Morocco's system for allocating Schengen visa application appointments has recently been hijacked by unauthorised brokers. Moroccans are finding travelling to Europe increasingly difficult, despite the lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2022

Morocco's system for allocating Schengen visa application appointments has been hijacked by unauthorised brokers. Moroccans are finding travelling to Europe increasingly difficult, despite the lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2022. Ismail Azzam reports

By Ismail Azzam

"It's a catastrophe. Visa appointments are sold for 11,000 dirhams [€1,000, $1,088]," Moroccan actor Dounia Boutazout stated in an Instagram story in March. The popular artist had tried to apply for a Schengen visa ahead of her theatre group's Europe tour, but was unable to book an appointment with an authorised visa application centre. Her alternative would have been contacting one of the unauthorised online brokers in Morocco that sell visa appointment slots at unregulated rates.

Such businesses use software bots automated to reserve all free appointments the instant authorised visa centres make them available online. It is neither forbidden to grab a huge number of appointments, nor to sell them. A growing industry of unauthorised dealers has been thriving in this legal loophole, as they do not offer consular services but operate as intermediaries, selling appointments to applicants for up to ten times the original price.

Most European consulates outsourced the handling of visa appointments to designated service centres years ago. They argue that this saves time in processing visa requests, as authorised centres will only forward applications that are complete and meet the requirements for a Schengen visa.

In Morocco, TLScontact is the main authorised provider that allocates appointments for German and French consulates. The Spanish consulate works with BLS International, while the Dutch and Italian consulates contract VFS Global.

A man stands on tarmac painted with a German national flag and the European flag (image: Oliver Boehmer/Zoonar/picture alliance)
Consulates caught napping: unauthorised brokers are increasingly using software bots automated to reserve all free appointments the instant authorised visa centres make them available online. It is neither forbidden to grab a huge number of appointments, nor to sell them – sometimes for up to ten times the original price. "Most embassies are aware that appointments are brokered, but have demonstrated little interest in solving this in over a year, " says Adil Tchikitou, director of the Moroccan League for the Defence of Human Rights (LMDDH)

Authorised third-party service providers charge service fees for booking appointments. The fees increase according to the length of the stay abroad, and start at about €80 for an appointment to request a short-term tourist visa.

"Movement deprivation of Moroccans"

Boutazout was by no means the only one searching for free appointments through authorised service providers for weeks without success. Adil Tchikitou, director of the Moroccan League for the Defence of Human Rights (LMDDH) is concerned. "Most embassies are aware that appointments are brokered, but have demonstrated little interest in solving this in over a year," he said. His and other Moroccan human rights associations have complained to European officials about what he calls the "movement deprivation of Moroccans".

However, while Tchikitou said that no significant reforms have yet been initiated, embassies have begun to respond to an increase of complaints by citizens. A spokesperson for the Dutch Foreign Ministry revealed that the ministry had introduced steps to counter unauthorised brokers. These include a "digital waiting list, which ensures that facilitators no longer have the possibility to sell or re-sell appointments".

In May this year, the Spanish contractor BLS International introduced a photo-based self-verification system for applicants. This outsmarts bots attempting to reserve appointments, as each appointment is linked to an individual photo that can be compared with the passport photo. Moreover, after warning of "intermediaries", and citing "manipulations in the appointments", the Italian Consulate General in Casablanca recently ended its outsourcing contract with TLScontract and started working with a subsidiary of VFS Global.

Leggete con attenzione ⚠️ il comunicato⤵️https://t.co/mxOkdXmQBi



Ricordiamo che il nuovo servizio sarà disponibile SOLO a partire da venerdí 1️⃣2️⃣ maggio pic.twitter.com/kHoM9GLgaU

— Consolato Generale d'Italia Casablanca (@ItalyinCasa) May 9, 2023

 

The German Foreign Ministry also stated that it was tackling the issue, but did not specify concrete steps. "New appointments for Schengen visas in Rabat are released regularly, but are fully booked within a very short time," a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said, adding that the ministry was "taking new measures to prevent those visa brokers from blocking the appointments and to improve the situation".

For Moroccan actor Dounia Boutazout, who was hoping to tour Europe, these steps and promises will be of little use. After refusing to pay the unauthorised broker's inflated booking fee, she was unable to obtain a visa appointment. As a result, her theatre tour was cancelled, and she has had to shoulder the financial loss herself.

Deutsche Welle reached out to TLScontact and asked for comment on their pricing and allocation handling, but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

Ismail Azzam

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