Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has called for the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) to refund African nations for non-refunded visa application fees following widespread rejections, labeling the practice as exploitative.

In a statement, Hichilema highlighted that African countries collectively lost over $70 million in 2024 due to rejected visa applications to Europe, with an additional £44 million ($59 million) lost to UK visa fees.