Despite the actions led by the Dominican State to manage the exemption from Schengen visa on short stays in the countries that make up the European Unionthe geopolitical entity admitted to being aware of the high rejection rates dominating the system as a pending “difficulty factor.”
This was explained by the ambassador of the European Union, Raúl Fuentes Milaniduring his participation in the Listín Diario Breakfastled by its director, Miguel Franjul.
“We are trying to identify the rejection rates of the visa applicants. In the case of the European Union, they continue to be very high and that is something that we have to address,” he said.
Along with Fuentes Milani were the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Germany, Maike Friedrichsen; Sonia Barbry, ambassador of France; Sergio Maffettone, designated ambassador of Italy; Ignacio Sánchez, Minister Counselor of the Spanish Embassy; and Stefaan Pauwels, second delegate of the European Union.
Among the reasons given for this tendency towards rejection, the Spanish diplomat pointed out the past occurrence of non-verifiable documents, partially resolved with the biometric passports, problems with bank certificatesin addition to other complications identified during the evaluation of applications.
Added to the list is the practice of “shopping visa“, where interested parties apply for a Schengen visa at the consulate of a member country of the European Union due to the perception that the process is easier or faster instead of the country that represents the main destination or the longest stay, or the action of, after being rejected for a visa at one consulate, trying another without taking into account the internal communication maintained by these administrative representations.
According to Schengen 2024 visa statistics, the interest of Dominicans in visiting the northern hemisphere is notable, with an approximate of 46,754 applications in that year, the main receiving countries being Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Sources Milani proposes analyzing the exact causes of this high trend as a starting point to face the dilemma while making the visa application process more flexible and streamlined with alternatives such as multiple-entry visas or longer validity periods while hoping to reduce their requirements.
“That is the future, it is the direction. The important thing is to reduce the rejection rate,” he stated.
Student visas
Although a similar rejection may be perceived in this area, Ignacio Sanchez He pointed out that it is more of a matter of deadlines
As Spain consolidates itself as Europe’s main destination for students interested in specializing their academic knowledge, the strategy consists of integrating the consulate in the campaign so that the university students who receive the scholarship apply for the visa immediately. The problem usually arises when it is not requested in time.
If the Dominican applicant applies for his or her visa in sufficient time, there is no problem, as long as he or she meets the requirements. “The problem is emergencies,” he explained, while recommending a minimum period of four months for requesting the official document, because the main interest is to provide as many visas as possible for studies.
The ambassador of the European Union, Raúl Fuentes Milani, during his participation in the Listín Diario Breakfast.
In that sense, the other participants of the Listín d breakfastThey staked the programCalliope”, which seeks to train Dominican professors-researchers in engineering, or “Erasmus+”, whose initiative supports education, training, youth and sports, offering scholarships for university students, teaching staff and entrepreneurs to carry out exchanges in other countries within the European Union.
Illegal migration
Regarding whether the flow of Dominican illegal migrants has increased over the years in the region, Minister Counselor Sánchez responded that, due to the rigor of the procedure, there is no such trend.
He considered the illegal presence of people who enter with a visa for a certain period and stay in the country longer than expected to be more notable.
“This happens: someone who goes to visit, something comes up and decides to stay longer, violates the terms of the notice and is harming everyone. Of course we have an incident and it is impossible for that not to occur,” he said, taking into account the number of nationals residing in Spain.
The director of Listín Diario, Miguel Franjul, shows the ambassadors one of the first printing presses that the dean of the national press had.
Although it is not a very common practice in the region, it can be a determining factor in the average rejection rate.
Beginnings and profile
The European Union (EU) is a democratic and legal political community composed of 27 States of that continent, established to promote and embrace integration and governance.
It was established with the entry into force of Maastricht Treaty on November 1, 1993, although its predecessor dates back to 1951, with the Treaty of Paris.
Any European country that meets the Copenhagen criteria, which establish the obligation for the State to have a democratic government and a mixed free market economyin addition to recognizing the rights and freedoms of citizens, among other requirements.
