UAE Halts Most Visa Issuances for Pakistanis Citing Crime Concerns

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has suspended the issuance of most visas, including tourist, visit, and work permits, for Pakistani citizens. This move comes amid growing concerns among Emirati authorities over individuals traveling to the Gulf country and engaging in criminal activities.

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Pakistani officials, including Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry, confirmed the restrictions during a Senate committee meeting and warned that the situation could worsen into a full, formal ban, which would be challenging to reverse.

Key Factors Behind the Restriction

The decision follows a spike in reported high-profile incidents involving Pakistani nationals in the UAE, including:

• Organized Crime: Cases of begging rings, street crimes, murders, and drug rackets.
• Overstaying: Concerns regarding individuals overstaying their visas.
• Recent High-Profile Incidents: Earlier this year, two Indian men were killed in an alleged attack by a Pakistani national in a Dubai bakery.

The UAE is currently only granting visas to holders of blue (official) and diplomatic passports. While existing visas remain valid, no new applications are being processed at embassies or authorized centers.

Broader Impact and Regional Precedent

• Passport Reputation: This decision further damages Pakistan’s international image, as its passport is already ranked as the fourth worst in the world.
• High Migration Volume: Over 800,000 Pakistanis apply for visas to Gulf and Middle Eastern countries annually, primarily seeking employment or using these destinations as transit points to the West.
• Saudi Arabia’s Action: This follows similar scrutiny from neighboring countries. Saudi Arabia has previously arrested over 4,000 Pakistani beggars, especially around pilgrimage sites like Mecca and Madina, prompting stricter visa checks across the region.
• Police Verification Mandate: The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf nations recently mandated police verification for Pakistani travelers in December last year.

Mixed Signals on Visa Processing

Despite the current halt, there have been some recent efforts to ease visa processing:

• Facilitation Reforms: The UAE envoy to Pakistan announced new steps, including online applications, e-visas without passport stamping, and faster system linkages.
• New Visa Centre: A newly launched UAE Visa Centre in Pakistan is reportedly processing nearly 500 visas daily.

Pakistani authorities are currently using diplomatic channels to seek clarification and an early resolution to the visa restrictions.