Post by : Rameen Ariff

The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani citizens after growing concerns that many travellers arriving on visit visas instead of work visas were becoming involved in begging and other criminal activities. The suspension has created widespread worry among travellers, families, and recruitment agencies across Pakistan.

The development came to light during a meeting of Pakistan’s Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry confirmed that the UAE had raised serious concerns about misconduct involving Pakistani visitors. He warned that once such a ban is put in place, removing it becomes extremely difficult.

According to Overseas Employment Promoter Aisam Baig, UAE authorities observed an increasing number of people from Pakistan using visit visas to enter the country and later turning to begging. This behaviour has alarmed the UAE government, which maintains strict laws to protect public order and safety. At the moment, the UAE is issuing entry permits only to holders of blue passports and diplomatic passports.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who chairs the Senate committee, added that only a handful of Pakistanis were being granted visas now, and that too after significant difficulty. Families trying to reunite with loved ones and job seekers hoping to secure employment in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are facing major setbacks due to the new restrictions.

This is not the first time the UAE and other Gulf nations have raised concerns. In late 2024, several Gulf countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, placed an indefinite ban on issuing visas to people from more than 30 cities in Pakistan. The ban followed a sharp rise in cases involving begging, smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other illegal activities committed by visiting Pakistani nationals.

Earlier, the UAE had also made it compulsory for visa applicants to submit a police-issued character certificate to prove they had no criminal background. Despite these steps, authorities reported continued violations, resulting in the latest visa freeze.

For millions of Pakistanis, Gulf countries are key destinations for work and tourism. Each year, more than 800,000 Pakistanis apply for visas to the UAE and other Middle Eastern nations. Many families depend on remittances sent by Pakistani workers living abroad, making the new restrictions a serious economic concern.

Prominent Pakistani podcaster Nadir Ali recently shared that even he faced difficulties obtaining a visa for Dubai. He said Saudi Arabia and the UAE have issued warnings to Pakistan regarding the growing number of beggars and illegal workers being caught in their cities.

The UAE remains one of Pakistan’s biggest trading partners and hosts a large Pakistani community working across different sectors. The visa suspension is expected to impact travel, employment opportunities and business activity between the two countries unless Pakistan addresses the concerns raised by the UAE.

#Global News