One person was arrested in Santa Cruz, Cape Verde, for accusations of falsifying documents and fraud in scheduling visa appointments for Portugal.
The news was shared by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which also informed that the court ordered the suspect to remain in preventive detention until further notice, Schengen.News reports.
The demand for Portugal visas in Cape Verde has soared in recent years, which has prompted more irregular pathways for those misusing the situation.
Cape Verde’s Authorities Investigating Companies Suspected of Visa Scams
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Cape Verde is investigating several cases regarding the hoarding of slots for scheduling requests by companies that charge random amounts for these services, which, if handled at the public counters, would be provided without charges.
Last year, the Portuguese agency for migration, Lusa, found that these firms charged between €9 and €181. This amount could be higher if other services were provided.
Jorge Santos, Cape Verde’s Minister of Communities, had categorised companies and individuals who collect visa slots for Portugal as “traffickers” and said that these actions have to be punished.
Portugal Received 91% of Visa Applications Filed by Cape Verdeans in 2023
Cape Verdeans’ top destination for Schengen visas is Portugal, which could be related to the cultural similarities as well as the language, as Portuguese is an official language in the African country.
According to statistics published by SchengenVisaInfo, the number of visa applications Cape Verdeans filed in 2023 reached 18,341. Out of these, 91 per cent, accounting for 12,977 applications, were filed to Portugal, compared to 1,616 visa requests directed to Spain.
In addition, the number of rejected applications during this period reached 3,748 for Portugal and 632 for Spain. Despite the fact that Portugal receives the majority of applications, it still has lower rejection rates than Spain.
The rejection rates for Cape Verdean applicants in Spain stand at 39.11 per cent, indicating that 632 out of 1,616 applications were rejected. As per Portugal, rejection rates stand at 22.41 per cent, showing that less than a quarter of visa applications filed by Cape Verdeans receive a negative response.
Cape Verde, together with eight other countries, is part of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). Earlier this year, Portugal had plans to exempt nationals of these countries from visa requirements, but plans have yet to be implemented.
Source: https://schengen.news/1-arrested-in-cape-verde-for-portugal-visa-appointment-fraud/
