The Bureau of Immigration in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has imposed stricter conditions for Pakistani citizens entering the country and seeking employment.
Applicants will now be required to obtain a police character certificate along with their work visa.
According to Adnan Paracha, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA), the new requirement follows reports of Pakistanis being involved in begging and other illegal activities in the UAE, as reported by the Pakistani daily Express News.
“This decision aims to strengthen compliance with UAE laws, which is vital given our close ties with the country,” Paracha remarked.
He also said that the UAE has increased its list of cities under the visit visa ban from 24 to 30 Pakistani cities.
Furthermore, he highlighted the ongoing challenges in obtaining work visas for the UAE, which has hindered 100,000 Pakistanis from securing employment in the country in the past year.
The UAE is the second largest source of remittances to Pakistan, following Saudi Arabia.
On Wednesday, November 20, Pakistan’s Minister of Interior announced that around 4,300 beggars’ names were added to the Exit Control List due to a zero tolerance policy against beggars destined for Saudi Arabia.
This comes as Saudi Arabia warned Pakistan in September to address the increasing number of Pakistani beggars arriving in the Kingdom under Umrah visas.
