UD: Big challenges associated with Pakistani visa applications
The Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, reports extensive cheating and false information in the Schengen visa applications.
“The local Schengen group estimates that as high as 80 to 90 percent of the applications are submitted with false documentation and incorrect information,” says a report from the embassy, Aftenposten writes.
“The verification process is resource-intensive, and security challenges in Pakistan also contribute to the fact that verification of documents is difficult for the embassy,” said Ambassador Tore Nedrebø to the newspaper.
The Embassy says the number of Schengen applications is increasing and believes the reason may be that Norway, due to inadequate verification of documents, appears to be the “weakest link in the Schengen chain”.
The report also reveals that the Embassy has received tips that Pakistanis pay high amounts of money for an invitation to Norway.
“It’s easy to believe that it is because the applicant believes that an invitation will strengthen his visa application,” Nedrebø said.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
