UAE Visa Rumors Contradicted by Facts; Visas for Pakistanis Continue to Be Issued: Foreign Office

ISLAMABAD: Newly appointed Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan has clarified that rumours and media reports regarding the United Arab Emirates’ visa policy for Pakistani nationals do not reflect the actual situation, saying that the facts are different from the impression being created by such reports.

Speaking during his weekly press briefing on Thursday, Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said the number of visas issued by the UAE to Pakistani nationals was nearly seven times higher than the number of Pakistanis sent back from the country over the past five years.

According to the spokesperson, an average of 7,000 to 8,000 Pakistanis were sent back from the UAE each year during the last five years for various reasons.

He explained that those sent back included people residing illegally in the UAE, individuals who disappeared after three months and subsequently became illegal residents, as well as people involved in fights and other minor offences.

In contrast, Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said approximately 40,000 to 50,000 Pakistanis secured employment in the UAE and were issued visas during the past five years.

The Foreign Office spokesperson’s clarification came amid rumours and media reports concerning the UAE’s visa policy for Pakistani nationals, with the official figures presenting a substantially different picture from claims of a general or blanket visa suspension. Khan says UA

ISLAMABAD: Newly appointed Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan has clarified that rumours and media reports regarding the United Arab Emirates’ visa policy for Pakistani nationals do not reflect the actual situation, saying that the facts are different from the impression being created by such reports.

Speaking during his weekly press briefing on Thursday, Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said the number of visas issued by the UAE to Pakistani nationals was nearly seven times higher than the number of Pakistanis sent back from the country over the past five years.

According to the spokesperson, an average of 7,000 to 8,000 Pakistanis were sent back from the UAE each year during the last five years for various reasons.

He explained that those sent back included people residing illegally in the UAE, individuals who disappeared after three months and subsequently became illegal residents, as well as people involved in fights and other minor offences.

In contrast, Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said approximately 40,000 to 50,000 Pakistanis secured employment in the UAE and were issued visas during the past five years.

The Foreign Office spokesperson’s clarification came amid rumours and media reports concerning the UAE’s visa policy for Pakistani nationals, with the official figures presenting a substantially different picture from claims of a general or blanket visa suspension.