&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "UAE 'stops short' of banning Pakistanis but tightens visa rules for them. What pushed Dubai this far?")
The United Arab Emirates has quietly tightened its visa rules for Pakistanis, suggest reports. On Thursday (Nov 27) a senior Interior Ministry official told a Pakistani Senate committee on Thursday that the UAE has stopped issuing most categories of visas to Pakistani passport holders, and at one point came even close to enforcing a near-complete ban.
UAE to ban visas for Pakistanis?
No. On Thursday, Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry, while briefing the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, said the UAE and Saudi Arabia had "stopped short of imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport" altogether. However, he explained that the step was eventually paused. He warned that if either nation chose to move ahead, reversing such a decision would be immensely difficult.
He said that for now, only two types of Pakistani passports are still being accepted in the UAE: diplomatic and blue official passports. Ordinary Pakistani travellers hold green passports, which means millions are effectively locked out unless they qualify under government service.
But why did UAE limit visas for Pakistanis?
Backing Chaudhary, Committee chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri revealed that the tightening was linked to concerns in the Gulf over Pakistanis "getting involved in criminal activities," particularly low-level fraud and visa misuse. She added that in recent months, only a few visas have been issued that too "after much difficulty".
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The UAE hosts one of the largest Pakistani expatriate populations, a workforce that sends home billions in remittances. This visa halt could thus potentially hit families and Pakistan's foreign reserves at the same time.
When Pakistanis begging in the UAE led to Visa ban
The Pakistan-UAE visa friction is not new. Earlier this year, it was reported that UAE visas had been "unofficially closed" for Pakistanis. This was reportedly done over concerns that Pakistanis were engaging in begging rather than seeking legitimate jobs.
In July, after rejections spiked, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi raised objections with UAE authorities, and assurances were given that approvals would speed up. In April, the ambassador even announced that Pakistanis would soon qualify for a five-year visa. Those assurances now seem to have faded. Work visas reportedly remain open for the moment, but uncertainty hangs over visit visas for ordinary Pakistanis.
