Moroccan nationals in Casablanca have gathered in the city center to express their displeasure with the lengthy wait times for Schengen visa processing at the Italian embassy. The citizens of Casablanca are pressing the Italian embassy to move quickly because they are dissatisfied with the current application process and the lengthy wait times for a response.

Morocco World News reports that these protests started early in the morning, and in spite of their attempts to put pressure on the Italian embassy, no formal statement has been released, nor have there been any signs that the processing time for visas has accelerated.

It should be noted that most of the demonstrators are people applying for work visas, even though they are there for a variety of reasons. A number of demonstrators have described their situation, stating that even though they obtained work contracts in Italy several months prior, the lengthy visa application process prevents them from entering the nation and starting their jobs.

The lengthy waiting periods have also been criticized by applicants for tourist visas, who have regrettably had to postpone or cancel their travel plans as a result of the delays.

According to previously released data, Moroccans applied for Schengen visas at the highest rate of any African nation in 2022. In particular, Moroccan nationals submitted 423,201 applications for Schengen visas, costing €33.8 million in fees.

Even so, only 282,301 applications were accepted out of the large number submitted; 57.4% of these were for multiple entry visas. On the other hand, Moroccan nationals’ applications for Schengen visas were turned down in 119,346 cases, meaning that about 30% of their requests were turned down in 2022.