Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
The United Arab Emirates has ceased issuing visas to Pakistani nationals due to increasing reports of individuals arriving on visit visas rather than work visas and subsequently engaging in begging and criminal activities. This halt has caused widespread anxiety among families, travelers, and recruitment agencies within Pakistan.
This situation emerged during a meeting of Pakistan’s Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, where Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry disclosed that the UAE raised significant issues regarding misconduct by Pakistani visitors. He warned that reinstating a lifted ban would be a challenging process.
Overseas Employment Promoter Aisam Baig noted that UAE authorities have tracked an uptick in Pakistanis entering the nation on visit visas, leading them to resort to begging. This alarming behavior has prompted a stern response from the UAE government, known for its stringent laws aimed at upholding public safety. Currently, only blue passport holders and diplomats are being granted entry permits.
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the committee chair, stated that visa approvals for Pakistanis are now remarkably scarce and are accompanied by considerable hurdles. Families reuniting with relatives and job seekers aspiring to find opportunities in cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah are severely impacted due to this recent policy shift.
This is not an unprecedented occurrence, as similar concerns had been raised by the UAE and various Gulf countries in late 2024 when an indefinite visa ban was placed on applicants from over 30 Pakistani cities following a spike in activities such as begging, smuggling, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.
In previous instances, the UAE mandated that visa applicants provide a police-issued character certificate to ensure they had no criminal history. Despite these precautions, persistent violations led to the current visa suspension.
For countless Pakistanis, the Gulf remains a crucial region for employment and tourism. Annually, over 800,000 Pakistanis apply for visas to the UAE and neighboring countries, with many families relying on remittances from overseas workers; hence, these new restrictions pose a significant economic concern.
Nadir Ali, a well-known Pakistani podcaster, recently shared his struggles in securing a visa for Dubai. He noted that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sounded alarms regarding the rising influx of beggars and illegal workers in their territories.
As one of Pakistan’s major trading partners, the UAE accommodates a large Pakistani community employed across various sectors. Unless Pakistan addresses the issues highlighted by the UAE, the visa suspension is anticipated to negatively affect travel, job opportunities, and business interactions between the two nations.
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