The latest report from the specialised site, Schengen Visa, revealed that Libya recorded the lowest rate of Schengen visa applications in 2022.
A total of 16,543 applications were submitted by Libyans, with 11,479 approved and 4,327 rejected. The majority of applications were made at the Italian visa agency in Tripoli, with 8,222 applications, followed by 1,453 in Benghazi.
The Maltese Embassy in Tripoli received 5,793 applications, and the Greek Embassy 1,075. Visa applications to Italy from Libya increased by 11% from 1 January to 26 October, compared to the same period in the previous year, according to the Italian Embassy in Libya.
This increase coincides with the resumption of direct flights between Libya and Italy, which began at the end of September. The Italian Ambassador tp Libya, Gianluca Alberini visited the Alma visa agency in Tripoli on Thursday, to monitor the procedures.
Schengen statistics also revealed that between 2017 and 2022, Chinese citizens submitted 2.3 million visa applications. A majority of these were submitted before the COVID-19 pandemic, but gradually increased in 2022.
Over two million Algerians have applied for French visas since 2017, according to the Schengen Visa report.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down.