The UAE government has extended its visit visa ban on Pakistani citizens belonging to two more cities, bringing the total number of country’s banned cities to 24, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
An expert of Pakistan Employees Promoters, Adnan Paracha said on Saturday that the UAE immigration authorities have imposed more restrictions on Pakistani citizens seeking visit visa.
The UAE government has already put a ban on issuing visit visas to Pakistani citizens belonging to 22 cities, but now the Emirates has added two more cities of the country to its list of banned cities.
Paracha was of the view that the main reason of this problem was the agent mafia. First, the UAE immigration authorities put 12 cities of Pakistan on a list of visit visa ban cities. Then the number was increased to 22, and now with the addition of two more cities, the UAE immigration authorities would deny visit visa to Pakistanis belonging to these 24 cities.
He lamented that even the businessmen of these 24 cities could not obtain the visit visas.
The 24 cities on which the Emirates immigration authorities have put a ban include: Abbottabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Quetta, Khoshab, Muzaffargarh, Sargodha, Attock, Dera Ismail Khan, Kasur, Kurram Agency, Nawabshah, Sheikhupura, Bajaur Agency, Hangu, Kohat, Larkana, Para Chinar, Skardu, Chakwal, Hunza, Kotli, Mehmand Agency, Sahiwal, and Sukkur.
The UAE imposed restrictions on the people of these cities because of the misstatement of the agents who sent them on visit visa but told them that they were being sent on work visa.
When these people fail to get employment, they start begging in the UAE and the Emirates government deport them, he added.
To solve this problem, Paracha suggested that Pakistan foreign ministry raise this issue with the UAE government and the concerned authorities launch a crackdown against these agents in the country.
In August, the UAE immigration authorities deported 80 Pakistanis for having dummy return tickets and other reasons.
The Pakistani mission in Dubai informed the FO that these passengers were deported for various reasons urging the ministry to educate Pakistani passengers, seeking employment in the UAE, to acquire a proper work visa.
It said the passengers should hold valid return tickets with a visa and 5,000 dirhams with them when travelling to the UAE.
Reporter Ashraf Khan