UAE Suspends Visa Issuance to Pakistanis Amid Crime Concerns

Visa services for Pakistani citizens have been halted by the United Arab Emirates, fueled by rising incidents of begging and criminal behavior among visitors coming on visit visas. This decision has led to unease among families, job seekers, and recruitment agencies in Pakistan.

The suspension was disclosed during a session of Pakistan’s Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry indicated that the UAE has expressed significant concerns about the misconduct of Pakistani visitors. He emphasized that reversing such a ban can be quite challenging.

According to Aisam Baig, an Overseas Employment Promoter, UAE officials noted a troubling trend of many Pakistanis entering the country on visit visas, subsequently resorting to begging. This has alarmed UAE authorities, known for their stringent laws aimed at maintaining public order and safety. Currently, UAE entry permits are being granted solely to holders of blue passports and diplomatic documents.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who leads the Senate committee, remarked that only a few Pakistanis are now being approved for visas, facing considerable hurdles. Families hoping to reunite with their loved ones and job seekers eyeing roles in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah are notably affected by these new constraints.

This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised by the UAE and other Gulf states. In late 2024, several Gulf nations, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, imposed an indefinite ban on visa issuance to individuals from over 30 cities in Pakistan, following a spike in criminal activities like begging and human trafficking.

Previously, the UAE mandated that visa applicants provide a police-issued character certificate to demonstrate they had no prior criminal record. However, ongoing violations led to the recent visa suspension.

For countless Pakistanis, Gulf countries remain vital for work and tourism. Annually, more than 800,000 Pakistanis seek visas for the UAE and other Middle Eastern locations. Many of these families rely heavily on remittances from Pakistani workers abroad, rendering the new restrictions a critical economic concern.

Nadir Ali, a well-known Pakistani podcaster, recently mentioned facing challenges while trying to secure a visa for Dubai. He noted that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have issued alerts concerning the rising number of beggars and undocumented workers in their territories.

The UAE is a major trading partner for Pakistan and is home to a vast Pakistani workforce spread across various industries. Unless Pakistan addresses the UAE's concerns, the visa suspension is likely to severely affect travel, job opportunities, and business exchanges between the two nations.