In the Gambia according to this Daily Observer report, http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/the-visa-nightmare, the Govt. and its leading mouthpiece are pushing a sensationalized argument against visa fees at foreign embassies in the Gambia. There is no point belaboring this point, because you can't simply argue with the Daily Observer for D.O to begin with is the antithesis of all there is about reason. There are a few reasons to argue for visa fees. Of course, the Daily Observer and the Sheikh Professor wouldn't know that: 1. fees for visa applications go to cover administrative cost of processing the applications whether approved or not. There are some immigration papers that either have no fees or a are eligible for fee waiver... 2. fees for visa applications may increase in response to increases in the volume of applicants, as well as annual inflation. 3. fees for visa applications serve as a deterrent for frivolous applicants. If you are paying $100 to apply, then you are likely to make sure your case is genuine. If there were no fees, then I suspect the U.S. and U.K. embassies will have nothing else to do other than processing visas. Everyone will be applying every year which seems to be the case in the Gambia anyway. 4. fees for visa applications also may serve as checking the tide of immigration. This is in the interest of both the receiving countries, U.S. and U.K. for example and the giving country, the Gambia for example. http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/the-visa-nightmare
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Posted - 08 Apr 2010 : 09:27:32
