The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has halted the issuance of new visas for the majority of Pakistani citizens, citing escalating concerns over individuals entering the Gulf nation and becoming involved in criminal networks. The development was reported by the Karachi-based newspaper Dawn, which revealed the issue during a meeting of Pakistan’s Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. Officials warned during the session that the situation could deteriorate further if the UAE decided to formalise the suspension as a complete ban.
The restriction comes after a series of high-profile incidents involving Pakistani nationals in the UAE. Authorities in the Gulf state have cracked down on organised begging groups, street-level crimes, violent offences, including murder, narcotics rackets, and widespread cases of overstaying visas. These incidents, officials suggested during the committee meeting, have heightened the UAE’s security concerns and prompted the decision to halt fresh visas. One of the most disturbing episodes occurred earlier this year in Dubai, where two men from Telangana were killed and another wounded in an attack carried out by a Pakistani national who, according to local reports, shouted religious slogans during the assault inside the bakery where the Indian workers were employed. The case received significant international attention and added to the UAE’s apprehensions regarding violent crimes committed by foreign workers.
Visa suspension across all categories
According to reports, the UAE’s decision applies to all major visa categories for Pakistani citizens, including tourist visas, visit visas, and employment permits. Although presently issued visas remain valid until their expiration dates, UAE embassies and authorised visa-processing centres have ceased accepting new applications from Pakistani nationals. This development is expected to further tarnish the standing of the Pakistani passport, which has already been ranked among the world’s least powerful travel documents for three consecutive years. The latest restriction, officials say, could contribute to an even more negative perception of Pakistan’s travel credentials if it transitions into a formal, long-term ban.
UAE authorities have repeatedly voiced concerns about organised networks from certain countries exploiting visit visas to conduct illegal activities. Pakistani nationals, according to recent enforcement data from the region, have constituted a significant portion of those arrested in various unlawful operations, including begging, scam networks, and drug trafficking. Officials from multiple Gulf states have previously alerted Islamabad about the rising trend.
Official statistics indicate that over 800,000 Pakistanis apply annually for visas to Gulf and Middle Eastern countries, primarily in search of employment opportunities and higher incomes. These destinations also serve as transit points for many Pakistanis attempting to move onwards to Europe or North America through both legal and illegal channels. However, the growing number of illegal activities linked to some Pakistani migrants has raised alarm in Gulf nations. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has detained more than 4,000 Pakistani beggars in recent years, many of them apprehended in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina during the peak pilgrimage periods of Umrah and Haj. Such arrests have reinforced Gulf governments’ perception that stricter controls are needed on inbound travellers from Pakistan.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also reported multiple instances of Pakistani nationals being caught smuggling narcotics or participating in criminal syndicates. In these cases, regional officials have stated, compelled them to tighten visa screening procedures and, eventually, to introduce measures such as mandatory background checks and enhanced verification for travellers from Pakistan.
The UAE has previously expressed unease regarding criminal networks linked to foreign workers, and some senior Emirati officials have been openly critical of criminal activities involving Pakistani nationals. In 2018, Dhahi Khalfan, head of General Security in Dubai and former chief of the Dubai Police Force, publicly alleged in a series of posts on social media that Pakistani nationals were responsible for bringing drugs into Gulf countries. At the time, he urged UAE employers to refrain from hiring Pakistanis, suggesting that avoiding such recruitment should be viewed as a matter of national responsibility. Khalfan’s comments drew sharp reactions from Pakistan, but they highlighted a longstanding concern within the UAE about the involvement of some foreign workers, particularly from South Asia, in organised crime.
Stricter verification measures introduced by Gulf states
Multiple reports indicate that in December last year, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf nations introduced mandatory police verification for Pakistani travellers. The move was described as a preventive measure aimed at identifying applicants with criminal histories before they could travel to the region. At present, the UAE is issuing visas only to holders of blue passports and diplomatic passports. During the Senate Functional Committee meeting, Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry reportedly stated that although the UAE and Saudi Arabia had not imposed a formal ban on the Pakistani passport, both countries had come close to such a decision. He reportedly cautioned that if the restrictions were escalated into an official ban, reversing it would be extremely challenging. Pakistan’s government, meanwhile, has not yet released a formal statement on the matter. However, senior foreign ministry officials have indicated that diplomatic channels are being used to obtain clarification from the UAE and to explore avenues for resolving the issue.
The UAE has previously imposed short-term visa restrictions on citizens of various countries when confronted with rising concerns related to overstaying, crime, or visa misuse. Pakistani nationals have faced temporary suspensions in the past as well, particularly when cases of organised criminal behaviour increased. Visa-related challenges between Pakistan and the UAE have continued for several months. In July, Pakistan’s then-interior minister Mohsin Naqvi raised concerns with his UAE counterpart after an unusually high number of visa applications from Pakistani citizens were rejected. Earlier, in April, the UAE envoy had announced that Pakistanis would soon have access to a five-year visa scheme. This announcement came after reports in January claimed that certain visa categories for Pakistanis had been “informally suspended” without an official notification.
According to officials familiar with the situation, the primary reasons behind the UAE’s visa cancellations involving Pakistani nationals include the presence of organised begging rings, petty crime, unlawful overstays, and involvement in smuggling activities. These networks, authorities say, not only violate local laws but also strain the UAE’s internal security systems, prompting the government to adopt stricter measures. The UAE’s latest decision, while not unprecedented, signals one of the broadest suspensions imposed on Pakistani travellers in recent years. Analysts note that the implications could be far-reaching, affecting labour mobility, family visits, and Pakistan’s remittance inflows from one of its largest expatriate communities. Pakistan’s diplomatic corps, immigration authorities, and labour officials continue to monitor the situation closely as they await a formal response from the UAE regarding the future of visa processing for Pakistani citizens.
