Sources say that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has temporarily stopped issuing new visas to citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Muslim-majority countries due to security concerns.
According to the foreign news agency “Reuters”, the sources did not say what nature these security concerns are, but they said that the ban is for a short period of time.
Last week, the Foreign Office said that the United Arab Emirates has temporarily suspended the process of issuing visit visas to several countries, including Pakistan, for an indefinite period.
Spokesperson of the Foreign Office, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry, said in his statement that this decision was taken by the UAE administration possibly in view of the second wave of the corona virus.
However, he said that we are waiting for official confirmation from the relevant authorities of the United Arab Emirates in this regard.
In his statement, he clarified that the suspension will not apply to visas already issued.
A document issued by the UAE’s official business park said that the emirate has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 countries, including Iran, Syria and Somalia.
The document sent to companies operating in the park referred to an immigration circular that came into effect on November 18.
Applications for new employment and visit visas filed by citizens of 13 countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen, have been postponed until further orders, the document said.
Visa restrictions have also been applied to citizens of Algeria, Kenya, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkey.
It was not clarified whether citizens of these countries are exempted from this ban or not.
The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship did not initially issue a statement.
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UAE Visa Ban Lifted for Nigerians, but Restrictions Remain for Other Countries
As a blog news writer, I have been following the recent developments in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) visa policies. The UAE has been in the news for implementing visa bans on several countries, citing security concerns. However, in a recent reversal, the UAE has lifted its visa ban on Nigerian citizens, allowing them to apply for visas again.
According to reports, the UAE had imposed a visa ban on Nigerians for over two years but has now resumed issuing visas after reaching new agreement terms with the Nigerian government [1]. This move is seen as a positive development for Nigerian citizens who had been affected by the ban.
On the other hand, the UAE still maintains a visa ban on several other countries, including Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Cameroon, and others [3]. This ban has been in place for various reasons, including security concerns.
It’s worth noting that the UAE had also imposed a visa ban on Pakistani citizens, as mentioned in the news article [[not provided in the search results]]. This ban, however, does not appear to be related to the one lifted for Nigerian citizens.
The lifting of the visa ban on Nigerians is a welcome development, but it’s clear that the UAE still has concerns about the security implications of issuing visas to citizens of certain countries. The UAE government has not publicly disclosed the nature of these security concerns, but it’s likely that they are related to issues such as terrorism and immigration.
In my analysis, the UAE’s visa policies reflect the complex and ever-changing security landscape in the Middle East and beyond. While the lifting of the visa ban on Nigerians is a positive step, it’s clear that the UAE will continue to exercise caution when it comes to issuing visas to citizens of countries deemed to pose a security risk.
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