While migration offers a path to prosperity for many Africans, it also comes with high costs particularly when it fails. Every year, tens of thousands of Africans apply for visas and work permits to Europe, Canada, and the United States. Many are denied. Behind every rejection lies not just personal disappointment but an overlooked economic drain: millions of dollars lost annually in non-refundable application fees, travel expenses, and documentation costs.
But what if we compared what Africa loses from these failed attempts to what it gains from successful migration?
The Cost of Being Denied
In 2024 alone, African nationals lost an estimated $220 million due to visa and work permit rejections. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Europe (Schengen Zone)
Africans lost over €60 million (~$67.5 million) in Schengen visa application fees.
Nigeria alone forfeited more than €4.5 million ($5 million) due to high rejection rates.
2. Canada
Canada rejected 115,549 work permit applications from African countries in 2024.
With each application costing CA$155, this amounts to more than CA$17.9 million (~$13 million) lost in fees alone.
3. United Kingdom
Although 2024 data is pending, in 2023, African applicants lost over £46 million (~$58 million) in rejected UK visa fees.
In addition to direct application fees, African applicants incur substantial indirect costs in the visa and work permit process. These include expenses related to traveling to embassies or visa centers, the procurement of official documents, payments to agencies or consultants for application assistance, and significant opportunity costs stemming from lost time and missed employment opportunities. When combined, these indirect costs are conservatively estimated at $75 to $100 million annually, bringing the total estimated yearly financial loss for the continent to between $220 and $250 million.
What Africa Gains: The Power of Remittances
In contrast to these losses, the economic benefits of successful African migration are enormous.
Remittances to Africa in 2024
According to World Bank estimates, Africa received a total of $65 billion in remittances in 2024, with $54 billion flowing into Sub-Saharan Africa and an additional $11 billion directed to North African countries. These inflows continue to serve as a vital financial lifeline for millions of households across the continent.
Top Recipients in 2024
Country Remittances (USD)
Nigeria $20 billion
Egypt $14 billion
Morocco $9.5 billion
Ghana $4.5 billion
Kenya $4.1 billion
These funds are essential lifelines for millions of families and critical engines for Household consumption, Education and health services, Housing and small business development, National forex reserves and so on.
Loss vs. Gain: A Comparative Summary
Category Estimated Value (2024)
Rejected visa/work permits $220 million
Remittances received $65 billion
Net migration surplus $64.78 billion
Let’s compute the ratio between total remittances gained and costs lost to visa/work permit rejections:
This means that for every single dollar Africa loses to visa and permit denials, it gains nearly $295 in remittances.
Despite the heavy financial burden of visa denials, migration remains an overwhelmingly positive net gain for African economies.
The paradox: Africa’s poorest pay the most upfront, often with no return. Rejected applicants are disproportionately from middle- and low-income households those least able to afford repeated application attempts.
Visa regimes today act as one-way tollgates, draining capital from the Global South and offering little in return to the majority who are turned away. Africa may be gaining billions through its diaspora, but the price of rejection is a tax it can ill afford.
The case is clear: it’s time to reform global migration systems so they are not only more humane but more economically just.
By Donald Masimbi MSc in Economics, PhD Candidate (Research in Energy Economics)