It is annoying that one stupid and ignorant person at the Embassy with probably a Secondary School Certificate was the one that attended to me and turned me down - Wale A.
I am very angry right now.

What are the roles of the foreign embassies in Nigeria? Why do the semi-literates in these embassies deny Nigerian professionals and others the basic right to acquire entry visas that will allow them visit many countries in Europe and other places?

A recent case at the French Embassy in Nigeria is still causing a source of agitation in my mind and here I will narrate the story. Wale has worked as a professional banker for more than 15 years. In these 15 years or more, he has travelled to all the continents on planet earth. First he worked in Lagos on Marina Street with Nigerian’s foremost merchant bank.

About 5 years ago like many of his contemporaries Wale relocated to Abuja and took up another job but still in the banking industry. This year alone, Wale has travelled to the United States on a number of occasions. He has also been to the United Kingdom, Dubai and Malaysia. Wale has travelled the entire length and breadth of Nigeria and Africa. As I write this article, he is on his way to Asaba, then to Onitsha and then Aba.

This has been the nature of Wale’s job for over a decade-travelling and meeting with clients and seeking the prosperity of Nigeria. When he leaves Aba at the end of this week, he would be on his way to Switzerland but this time for the purpose of education to advance his professional life and this is where the crux of my anger with the French Embassy in Nigeria sets in.

Wale will attend a professional course in Switzerland for 3 weeks starting June 16. At the end of the course, the school is offering a school trip to Paris by bus. Wale would definitely like to be part of the trip after which he would also like to take a flight to Sweden where his younger brother lives.

Switzerland is not a member of the EU and she is also not a Schengen state. Hence, Wale turned to the French Embassy for a schengen visa since all schengen countries offer that. Unfortunately, Wale was denied a schengen visa by the French. It was only at the interview that they told him to present a hotel booking in Paris.

Wale explained to them at the embassy that he was not going to stay in Paris, that his destination is Sweden. But anyway if they wanted a booking for a hotel in Paris, this would have been easily done by Wale or his brother in Sweden. Wale spent a great deal of time explaining the entire situation to the nonentities at the French embassy, but they were hell-bent on denying him the visa. If he was to present the hotel booking in Paris, he cannot do that until another 15 days at which time the course would have started in Geneva. The embassies have a silly rule that keeps a failed applicant away for minimum 15 days.

How can a man who is going to Geneva be denied a schengen visa to Paris? It is totally despicable and nonsensical. It is absolute rubbish! Wale has been to Sweden before in 2005. Then he was on a business trip to Brussels and he had a Schengen visa so it was easy to take a flight to Sweden. He stayed for only 5 days and went back to Nigeria.

I don’t know how many Nigerian passports Wale has used in the last 15 years but it must be quite a number. Why didn’t the half-educated people at the French embassy have a thorough look at the visas and stamps on these passports? I am very mad right now as I imagine the trauma that they put Wale through.

He was really upset at this development and he regretted that he didn’t turn to the Swedish Embassy in the first place. I mean what difference does it make? A man is going to Paris and would like to touch Sweden before he returns to work in Abuja. He presented his ticket to those fools but that didn’t matter. How could he have known that the people working at the French embassy in Nigeria have no initiatives of their own? That they are completely stereotyped dummies.

Wale is just one of the several legitimate cases of Nigerians who have been denied the right to travel out of Nigeria to pursue one thing or the other. A number of students have been traumatized because they cannot obtain visa to further their education abroad. Many legitimate Nigerian tourists are locked down there without right to get back their application fees or to even re-apply. In a way, the foreign embassies in Nigeria have continued to rip millions of naira from Nigeria every year.

If the embassy is in doubt of an application, what does it take them to crosscheck with the destination of the applicant? In Wale’s case, what is the doubt about? He has a visa to Switzerland and I am pretty sure he still has valid entry visas to the US and UK? What is their problem? They should give me one reason why Wale will stay in Paris if he was given a Schengen visa.

I am actually using this medium to call the French Embassy to order. If this is what they do to legitimate travelers, then they should pack out of Nigeria forthwith. Nonsense! If there are more embassies like the French Embassy, then the Federal Government should wake up and have a chat with them. They cannot continue to threat Nigerians with contempt in Nigeria? We don’t do similar things to them when they apply to visit our country. That is unacceptable and this is the message Wale wanted me to get across to the Nigerian Government.

aderounmu@gmail.com

vikiviko,
It is sad to note of the visa refusal even with  Wale professional and immigration history.But we must not loss sight of a fact that the issuance of Visa is not a right but a discretional offer to the applicant on a condition.This condition(s) are the Visa application requirement,in this case a hostel reservation/accomodation is needed for a visa to be approved.
FYI Nigeria embassies have her requirements which have to the fulfilled for a visa to be approved.
Wale as an experienced traveller should have known  better  and do the right thing.In either way Sweden/French,he need to meet the requirements.

brownbonno:

vikiviko,
It is sad to note of the visa refusal even with  Wale professional and immigration history.But we must not loss sight of a fact that the issuance of Visa is not a right but a discretional offer to the applicant on a condition.This condition(s) are the Visa application requirement,in this case a hostel reservation/accomodation is needed for a visa to be approved.
FYI Nigeria embassies have her requirements which have to the fulfilled for a visa to be approved.
Wale as an experienced traveller should have known  better  and do the right thing.In either way Sweden/French,he need to meet the requirements.

   Well said, Brownbommo, i couldn't put it any better.
  Vikiviko, Visa is not a "right", it's just a privilege, and to get this privilege, one has to fulfil all requirements irrespective of your travel history or your financial capabilities. It's a western country we're talking about, and we all know that these people are not respecter of any one. The French embassy is absolutely right in their decision.
   Also, do not forget the fact that these guys do not trust any Nigerian since they've seen a lot of mischievous cases in visa applications.
   Like Brownbonno said, Wale could have done better as a person who has vast travel experience. He could have avoided this outcome. I hope he realises something from this and put it right next time.
   All said, my sympathy.

la vache ôu la la la .
bla bla bla .

very harsh!
could Wale have called the embassy to enquire before actually going for the interview?

@ Busy_body,

Very perfect response, thanks! So much pain we can avoid if we follow the rules.

igbonla:

@ Busy_body,

Very perfect response, thanks! So much pain we can avoid if we follow the rules.

Thanks Igbonla.

vikiviko:

Switzerland is not a member of the EU and she is also not a Schengen state. Hence, Wale turned to the French Embassy for a schengen visa since all schengen countries offer that. Unfortunately, Wale was denied a schengen visa by the French. It was only at the interview that they told him to present a hotel booking in Paris.
Wale explained to them at the embassy that he was not going to stay in Paris, that his destination is Sweden.
aderounmu@gmail.com

This is a very straightforward case and the French Embassy is 100% right in refusing your friend a Visa.
One of the requirements for the provision of a Visa at any foreign embassy is 'address overseas'. They want to know one has a place to stay abroad and not just roam or be stranded on the streets. These people know nobody, they do not know a rich man from a poor man, a banker from an engineer. For the purpose of a Visa, we are all applicants to them. Your friend is widely travelled yet he forgot the embassy would ask for his address overseas and thus was not able to provide the information regarding his hotel and to make matters worse categorically told them he was not even going to their country but he only wanted a visa from them for the purpose of going to another country in this case Sweden - now how does that sound to you? The Schengen rule states that ones first point of call is the Visa issuance country. Is the french consulate there for visitors to be able to visit Sweden? Why didn't your friend go to Embassy of Sweden? Please call a spade a spade!!!

Busy_body:

Sorry, this response is a bit long-winded but I don't blame the french embassy in this instance at all. A number of glaring mistakes occurred here that diligent preparation on your part could have averted.

1) Switzerland is not part of the Schengen countries, so all you could apply for was a transit Schengen visa which is only valid for a maximum of 5 days. You would have to provide proof of visa/accommodation for onward journey as only going to France for a day trip, confirmed return ticket, etc

2)Your travel itinerary entailed travelling to Switzerland, then France, then onwards to Sweden, and since Switzerland is not a Schengen country, you have the option of applying from either Swedish or France Embassy. If I were you, I would have opted to apply from the Swedish embassy firstly because I have travelled there before and secondly because I was going to be staying there longer and thirdly because I would be able to apply for a full Schengen visa rather than a transit visa with a validity of five days only, and fourthly and finally because, according to you, Wale explained to them at the embassy that he was not going to stay in Paris, that his destination is Sweden, and what the rule states that you have to apply for your Schengen visa from the consulate of your main destination.   

Is it too late to apply to the Swedish embassy or does the days wait imposed on you by the French embassy apply to your application from all Schengen embassies?

With regards the red-highlighted statement, unless the rules have changed recently, he does not have that option. Although both countries are Schengen countries, since France is his first country of visit (amongst the Schengen countries), he has to apply for a schengen visa through the French embassy. I stand corrected tho.

Delta007:

Although both countries are Schengen countries, since France is his first country of visit (amongst the Schengen countries), he has to apply for a schengen visa through the French embassy. I stand corrected tho.

I agree with you o jare. Don't forget @ poster, the guy himself said at the embassy he wasn't going to France. So we take it he is not interested in the bus trip to Paris. So then his destination after the course is Sweden to see his brother whom he last saw in 2005 while he was on a business trip to Brussels .

Delta007:

With regards the red-highlighted statement, unless the rules have changed recently, he does not have that option. Although both countries are Schengen countries, since France is his first country of visit (amongst the Schengen countries), he has to apply for a schengen visa through the French embassy. I stand corrected tho.

Na jeje trouble siddon. Why are you looking for Uncle Wale's trouble by saying you don't agree with him? Stop it o   Did you not see the part where he said;

vikiviko:

. . . he regretted that he didn’t turn to the Swedish Embassy in the first place. 

You better behave yourself, he is a very very angry man so don't let him turn his anger on you o.

vikiviko:

I am very angry right now.

vikiviko:

the crux of my anger with the French Embassy in Nigeria sets in.

vikiviko:

I am very mad right now as I imagine the trauma that they put Wale through.

@ Coolier

This is for you too, so zip it. 

Delta007:

With regards the red-highlighted statement, unless the rules have changed recently, he does not have that option. Although both countries are Schengen countries, since France is his first country of visit (amongst the Schengen countries), he has to apply for a schengen visa through the French embassy. I stand corrected tho.

On this stance, you are very CORRECT.

coolier:

This is a very straightforward case and the French Embassy is 100% right in refusing your friend a Visa.
One of the requirements for the provision of a Visa at any foreign embassy is 'address overseas'. They want to know one has a place to stay abroad and not just roam or be stranded on the streets. These people know nobody, they do not know a rich man from a poor man, a banker from an engineer. For the purpose of a Visa, we are all applicants to them. Your friend is widely travelled yet he forgot the embassy would ask for his address overseas and thus was not able to provide the information regarding his hotel and to make matters worse categorically told them he was not even going to their country but he only wanted a visa from them for the purpose of going to another country in this case Sweden - now how does that sound to you? The Schengen rule states that ones first point of call is the Visa issuance country. Is the french consulate there for visitors to be able to visit Sweden? Why didn't your friend go to Embassy of Sweden? Please call a spade a spade!!!

Absolute spot on!

Busy_body:

[size=10pt][color=#770077]Okay, so it is now a case of which comes first, the chicken or the egg? First destination or Principal/Main destination.
If he did not have the option to present at the Swedish Consulate as you presumed, why did you think he was turned down at the French Consulate?

Maybe they thought he was arrogant, doing a French visa interview and stating he was not going to stay in that country, that his destination is Sweden.
He was actually going to France for a day trip and France was his first point of call before Sweden. So the French Embassy was his best bet for the Schengen visa. But he started on a wrong footing with the french consulate on the 'address overseas' issue.

coolier:

Maybe they thought he was arrogant, doing a French visa interview and stating he was not going to stay in that country, that his destination is Sweden.
He was actually going to France for a day trip and France was his first point of call before Sweden. So the French Embassy was his best bet for the Schengen visa. But he started on a wrong footing with the french consulate on the 'address overseas' issue.

He was in the right to say his destination is Sweden, if he is only going to France for a day and Sweden for 5 days. Hence, he has to put in his application through the Swedish embassy.

You have to apply from the consulate of the country where you are gonna be spending most of your time.

I know that Wale man his full name is Olawale the 1st grandson of the great Ajala the traveller. But quite unlike his grandfather before him Wale Ajala does not have a bicycle, he prefers the luxury of flying , however he is oblivious to the fact that flying into france is frowned at by the unfair embassy member of staff. Wow a lot of fs