Gulf Countries Ban Pakistani Visas: The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and several other Gulf countries have imposed an indefinite ban on granting visas to people from at least 30 different cities of Pakistan. These restrictions have been imposed due to the involvement of Pakistani citizens in begging abroad or in drug smuggling, human trafficking and other criminal activities. The Gulf countries and their cities, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi, are the most preferred destinations for millions of Pakistani travelers and job seekers.
However, following the ban and increasing incidents of visa application rejections, the already tarnished image of the Pakistani passport, which has been ranked fourth worst in the world for the third consecutive year, will suffer further irreparable damage. The UAE has made it mandatory for visa applicants from Pakistan to submit a character certificate issued by the police.
Difficulties being faced by passengers
A Pakistani YouTuber has also admitted the difficulties faced by the travelers of the country after the Gulf countries rejected the visa applications of Pakistani citizens. Noted podcaster Nadir Ali, in his latest interview with a businessman who owns a big travel company in Karachi, said Saudi Arabia and Dubai were popular destinations, but now they have stopped giving visas. He said, “When I wanted to go for IIFA Awards, I also faced a lot of difficulty.”
Saudi Arabia warned
Saudi Arabia has warned Pakistan regarding the increasing incidents of beggars being caught. In the last few years, a large number of suspicious travelers have gone abroad from Pakistan, who go there and start living illegally in foreign countries by becoming illegal drug smugglers, beggars and human smugglers. “Since last year, we have seen hundreds of cases where Gulf countries are denying labor visas, visit visas and even tourist visas to Pakistanis,” said Mudassar Mir, managing director of Vinci Tours and Travels in Islamabad. Has been given. “The number of rejections is especially high for those who do not come from major cities of the country.”
Also caught while smuggling drugs
He said that there are many reasons behind the rejection of Pakistani visa applications by Gulf countries. The main reasons for these are beggars and drug smugglers, who are caught after reaching Gulf countries on travel or job visas. Many Pakistanis have also been caught smuggling drugs. Recruitment companies in Gulf countries, especially those involved in sending laborers to Gulf countries, are also using fake documents and experience certificates. They bribe the agencies and get the work done.
Gulf countries do not want to hire any laborer from Pakistan
Many Gulf companies have complained to their recruiters in Pakistan that the workforce sent by them fails to meet even the basic requirements of the respective job, causing serious problems. Mir says that Gulf companies no longer want to hire any laborers or technicians from Pakistan because they know that the workforce coming from Pakistan will prove to be inefficient. They have found a better option to hire people from countries like India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, who are easy to get work from. Statistics show that more than eight lakh Pakistanis apply for visas to Gulf and West Asian countries every year in search of work and job opportunities and use it as a stepping stone towards traveling to Western and European countries .
Pakistani beggars arrested
More than four thousand Pakistani beggars have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in the past, especially from Mecca and Medina, where they were caught begging during Umrah and Hajj processions. Many Pakistanis have also been caught on charges of carrying illegal drugs and being involved in illegal activities. This ultimately resulted in several countries imposing severe restrictions on Pakistani passports and citizens of the country, leading to the visa applications of thousands of travelers being rejected.