After Saudi Arabia sends back Pakistanis caught begging, UAE tightens visa rules to curb surge in criminal cases

After Saudi Arabia deported 5,000 beggars back to Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates has now halted the issuance of regular visas to Pakistani citizens. A senior official in Islamabad told Dawn that the decision is due to worries about Pakistanis travelling to the Gulf and becoming involved in criminal activities. At present, only holders of blue and diplomatic passports are being allowed entry, while all regular visa applications are unofficially on hold.

What Pakistan told its lawmakers

Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry told Pakistan’s Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights that the UAE had quietly stopped issuing visas. Speaking to the committee, he said that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia had “not gone as far as imposing a full ban” on Pakistani passports, and cautioned lawmakers that “if a ban is put in place, getting it lifted would be very difficult.”Also read: Delhi–Leh flight cheaper than Gurgaon–Noida cab? Viral post triggers debate over app-based cab faresCommittee chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri agreed with this view. She said the visa restrictions were a result of repeated cases where Pakistani visitors were caught taking part in illegal activities in the UAE. According to Dawn, Zehri added that Pakistanis were “getting involved in criminal activities,” and that only a small number of visas had been approved recently, “and even those after great difficulty.”

A long-brewing visa problem

The visa freeze did not emerge overnight. Pakistani travellers began facing widespread rejections as far back as July, prompting Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to raise the issue with his UAE counterpart. Despite a July 11 meeting where UAE Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan promised “full support”, the restrictions stayed in place, Dawn reported.

Also Read: Gold price prediction 2026: Will bullion prices cross the Rs 1.5 lakh mark? Here’s what global banks are forecastingEarlier in April, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi had publicly said that visa issues were “resolved” and that Pakistanis could access a five-year visa. Islamabad’s latest admission now contradicts that assurance.

Repeated concerns over misuse of visit visas

Misuse of UAE visit visas by Pakistani travellers has been flagged several times over the past year. In January, Pakistan’s Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was told that some categories of UAE visas had already been “unofficially closed”. The latest freeze suggests those restrictions have now widened.

What this means for Pakistanis abroad

The UAE is one of the biggest destinations for Pakistani workers, traders and families. An unofficial freeze — tied to criminal-case concerns — places additional pressure on Pakistan’s overseas labour plans and its diplomatic efforts with Gulf countries. For many households dependent on Gulf earnings, the uncertainty adds another layer of worry.

Saudi Arabia Deported 5,000 Pakistani ‘ beggars’

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia carried out a major crackdown on organised begging networks, leading to the deportation of thousands of Pakistani nationals found violating local laws. Authorities in the Kingdom said many of those detained were part of groups entering on visit visas and engaging in street-level begging outside mosques, markets and public spaces. The move triggered concern in Islamabad, as videos of Pakistanis being rounded up surfaced on social media, prompting officials to acknowledge that misuse of visas had become a recurring problem in Gulf countries.