Why are Pakistani citizens facing problems in obtaining UAE visas?

Pakistani Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Tirmizi, has also confirmed that Pakistani citizens are facing problems in obtaining visas.

Article Details
Author, Rohan Ahmed
BBC Urdu, Islamabad
December, 25, 2024

Dr. Rabia Hassan, associated with Al-Shifa Hospital in Islamabad, was supposed to go to the UAE with other colleagues for a medical conference so that she could present her research there, but this could not happen due to unavailability of visas.

“About two and a half months ago, I was supposed to go to the UAE with other doctors, but I and some other doctors were not given visas, saying that individual visas were not being issued yet.”

According to him, “Only those who were with their partners (husband or wife) were able to go to attend the conference, the rest of us had to stay behind in Pakistan.”

Dr. Rabia Hassan is not the only Pakistani who has faced problems in obtaining a UAE visa, but travel consultants and other people who want to go to the UAE are also seen mentioning visa problems.

Sumbal (pseudonym), another Pakistani national, recounts the difficulty in obtaining a visa, saying, “The UAE visa center told me through an email that I do not face any restrictions in obtaining a visa, but still all the travel agents are telling me that a visa cannot be affixed to a Pakistani passport.”

Sumbal has been living in the UAE for about 12 years and recently moved out, but when she tried to get a visa again to visit her family, every travel agent told her that getting a UAE visa on a Pakistani passport has become a difficult task these days.

“That is why I did not take the risk of applying for a visa.”

Sumbal did not reveal her real identity because she believes that criticism of the UAE’s visa policy may make it difficult for her to get a visa in the future. Their fears are not unfounded, as UAE authorities have said in the past that people wishing to come there are checked for their social media activity or digital footprint before granting them a visa.

According to official figures, there are more than 1.8 million Pakistani citizens living in the UAE.

In an interview given to Pakistani channel Geo News this year, UAE Consul General in Karachi Dr. Bakhit Atiq Al Rumiti confirmed that people’s social media accounts are also checked.

The Pakistani government is also aware of the problems faced by citizens in obtaining visas and this issue is also being raised in Parliament.

On Monday, Senator Zeeshan Khattak, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, said during a meeting that travel agents are claiming that they are fulfilling all the visa conditions but despite this, people are not being issued visas.

During this meeting, the Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis told the Senate committee that there is no ‘complete ban’ on Pakistanis getting visas nor are skilled people facing problems in obtaining visas.

However, he confirmed that the demand for unskilled Pakistanis in the UAE has decreased. He said that this year too, about seven lakh Pakistanis have gone to the UAE.

But travel agents and consultants who help people get visas on a daily basis say that in recent months there has been an increase in the rejection of visa applications from Pakistanis.

Natasha, a visa consultant at Meeqam in Islamabad, told BBC Urdu that “for a long time, the UAE embassy has been rejecting visa applications from Pakistanis and there are several reasons for this, such as the fact that most Pakistanis do not return to Pakistan even after their visas have expired.”

She says that “a survey was conducted there according to which people under the age of 30 stay there even after their visas have expired and that is why now the authorities in the UAE are not issuing visas to people under the age of 30.”

However, according to Natasha, visas are still easily available to those whose wives or husbands are in the UAE and their children also get visas immediately.

New conditions for obtaining visas

According to official figures, more than 1.8 million Pakistani citizens live in the UAE.

Remittances play an important role in Pakistan’s economy and according to the State Bank, Pakistanis living in the UAE sent $5.53 billion to their country in the last financial year alone.

Due to repeated visa issues raised by Pakistani authorities, the UAE has introduced new conditions and according to travel agents, visas can be obtained quickly by fulfilling these conditions.

Travel consultant Natasha says, “With new visa applications, apart from documents, a guarantor is also being sought who will guarantee that the person going to the UAE will return before the expiry of his visa.”

“Affidavit and a character certificate issued by the police will now have to be submitted along with the visa application.”

Why are Pakistanis facing problems in obtaining visas?

Pakistani and UAE officials give several reasons for the problems in obtaining visas.

During an interview, UAE Consul General in Karachi, Dr. Bakhit Ateeq Al Rumiiti, warned Pakistani citizens that before issuing visas, the authorities in the UAE also check their social media activities.

He said, “Whatever social media you are using, whatever you are sharing is being collected (saved), whether we shared it well or wrongly. You people are creating restrictions for yourself. "We see that this man is doing a lot of mischief or creating problems. Then what is the need to bring him there (the UAE)?"

According to the State Bank, Pakistanis living in the UAE sent $5.53 billion to their country in the last financial year alone.

Pakistani Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Tirmizi has also confirmed in an interview that Pakistani citizens are facing problems in obtaining visas.

“Our use of social media has also suffered. If you criticize the policies of the UAE, it will not be considered good here.”

Referring to Pakistanis working in the UAE, he said, “One thing we hear a lot is that Pakistanis make big promises but do not fulfill them.”

“We have to teach our people how to live in a multinational and multi-religious society. There are some problems that we have to overcome. If you have problems in your own country, please do not bring those problems here.”

Pakistani consulates in the UAE are also seen instructing citizens to review their activities.

The guidelines on the website of the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai specifically emphasize the following points:

Avoid discussing members of the royal family or their affairs.

Do not ridicule any religion in the UAE.

Do not criticize the country's policies while residing in the UAE. Hateful content or criticism of the UAE's policies is a criminal offense.

Do not organize or participate in political events, meetings and rallies. The UAE is sensitive about such events and will deal strictly with violators.

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#United_Arab_Emirates #Travel #Pakistan #Business