Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul, has pushed back against allegations of inhumane treatment of Ghanaians applying for Schengen visas, insisting that he does not recognise such complaints.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, February 26, the Ambassador stated that while the Netherlands processes the highest number of Schengen visa applications in Ghana - over 15,000 annually - he has personally observed operations at the visa processing centre and found no evidence of unfair or harsh treatment.

“I don’t recognize these complaints because if you go to VFS, and I’ve been there a number of times, then I see a perfectly qualitatively good reception area where people are treated respectfully,” he said.

He stated that applicants are not left to endure harsh weather conditions while waiting for their appointments.

“They don’t have to wait outside. They can wait inside. So, I don’t see what the complaint about the vagaries of the weather or inhumane treatment is about,” he asserted.

The Ghanaian Foreign Ministry recently raised concerns over the treatment of visa applicants by some embassies and third-party service providers like VFS Global, which handles Schengen visa applications for multiple countries, including the Netherlands.

However, Ambassador Verheul suggested that if there were specific cases of mistreatment, they should be formally reported to the respective embassies for redress.

“If there are any specific complaints, whether it is about Schengen visa VFS or the Netherlands, then it would be good to address them specifically to us so that we can deal with them and improve our service delivery,” he advised.

The Netherlands, as a leading Schengen partner in Ghana, processes more applications than other European embassies, which handle between 5,000 and 10,000 annually.

The ambassador acknowledged that the visa application process is conducted outside the embassy premises through VFS, a third-party agency responsible for handling Schengen visa submissions.