Fake Schengen Visas Surge as Nigerian Passengers Disappear During Morocco Transit

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned of a sharp rise in passengers using fake Schengen visa stamps to travel to Europe, with some travellers deliberately exploiting long layovers in Casablanca before disappearing in an attempt to enter Europe illegally.

Michael Achimugu, NCAA director of public affairs and consumer protection, said the counterfeit stamps are now so expertly produced that inexperienced airline and immigration profiling officers often struggle to detect them before departure.

“I found out yesterday about a sharp increase in the volume of fake Schengen visa stamps now being used by passengers to travel to Europe,” he said. “A lot of them are discovered at transit airports, and others on arrival in Europe.”

Achimugu explained that some passengers book long layovers in Casablanca to qualify for hotel accommodation, then leave the airport and disappear.

“Once they enter the city, they disappear and try to find an illegal way into Europe,” he said.

The development is one reason Morocco has tightened entry restrictions on Nigerian passengers without visas, even when they would otherwise qualify for hotel stays during long transits.

“This is one of the reasons why Morocco refuses Nigerians without visas entry into the city, even if they are qualified for hotel stay,” Achimugu said.

Nigerian officials are engaging Moroccan authorities diplomatically to ensure genuine travellers are not punished for the actions of a few, Achimugu said. Nigeria has cited Ethiopia as an example of how transit passengers can be accommodated without compromising immigration controls.

“Our argument is simple; some other countries, like Ethiopia, do so,” he said. A Nigerian who qualifies for hotel accommodation in Addis Ababa does not need a visa when flying Ethiopian Airlines, he explained.

In Ethiopia, the airline provides electric buses that ferry passengers to their hotel and return them to the airport for departure, reducing the likelihood of absconding.

Achimugu questioned whether the number of Nigerians who had actually absconded during transit in Morocco justified the blanket restrictions.

“My question was, ‘How many such passengers ever absconded?’ It is not all Nigerians that want to run away,” he said. “We have way too many hardworking, legitimate people to be treated differently because of a few ‘bad eggs’.”

According to Achimugu, the Moroccan Mission argued that Morocco’s proximity to Europe makes it far more vulnerable to illegal migration than Ethiopia.

“The Mission’s argument was that Ethiopia may witness less of such occurrences because, unlike Morocco which is a few kilometres from Europe and, as such, an attractive proposition for illegals, Ethiopia does not have that situation,” he said.

The NCAA responded by asking Moroccan authorities to examine data on Nigerians who have absconded while transiting through the country.

“Our response was for the Moroccans to check the data of Nigerians who ever absconded while transiting through their country. If the numbers are infinitesimal, then you have the answers you need,” Achimugu said.

He said the discussions had opened the door for further engagement. The Royal Air Maroc country manager indicated that the airline had already made representations to relevant Moroccan authorities on behalf of Nigerian travellers, and that the matter was being considered subject to a number of variables.

As an immediate alternative, the NCAA proposed that more accommodation be provided for genuine Nigerian passengers with long layovers who are not permitted to enter Morocco.

“Another alternative we proposed to the airline was to either provide more rooms at the airport hotels, it presently has about 70 rooms, or provide lounge access to Nigerians who have layovers but no entry permit,” Achimugu said.

He stressed that while the government will continue to use diplomatic channels to make international travel easier for Nigerians, travellers also have a responsibility to avoid actions that could undermine such efforts.

“While the Nigerian government continues to explore diplomatic channels to make international travel easier for Nigerians, it is imperative that citizens also avoid situations that make such efforts difficult or near impossible,” he said.

The NCAA’s position reflects growing tension between efforts to facilitate legitimate international travel and concerns over irregular migration, as Nigerian authorities seek to persuade transit countries to distinguish between genuine passengers and those attempting to exploit transit arrangements to enter Europe illegally.