UAE Visa Ban Linked to Begging, Smuggling & Human Trafficking by Pakistani Nationals
Islamabad/Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has effectively halted visa issuance for Pakistani citizens, citing rising incidents of criminal behavior by some visitors after arrival, senior officials confirmed during a Senate committee briefing this week.
Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry told the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights that UAE authorities have “significantly tightened” their visa policy for Pakistanis. He noted that once such restrictions are enforced, reversing them becomes “extremely challenging,” according to remarks reported by Dawn.
At present, only blue-passport holders (official) and diplomatic passport holders are being granted entry.
The decision reportedly follows multiple cases where Pakistanis traveling on visit visas were later found begging or engaging in illegal activities instead of seeking lawful work. Overseas Employment Promoter Aisam Baig said these incidents prompted “serious concern” within the UAE government.
Committee chair Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri noted that only a very small number of Pakistanis had managed to obtain visas recently — and even those only “after considerable hurdles.”
The development echoes earlier measures taken across the Gulf region. In December 2024, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and several neighboring countries introduced an indefinite visa ban on applicants from at least 30 Pakistani cities following spikes in drug-related offenses, human trafficking, smuggling and organized begging.
The UAE remains one of Pakistan’s most critical economic hubs in the Middle East, hosting a large expatriate workforce. More than 800,000 Pakistanis typically apply every year for visas to Gulf destinations — particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both top choices for employment and travel.
Prior to the latest clampdown, the UAE had already instituted mandatory police character certificates for Pakistani applicants as a safeguard against entry-rule abuse.
