Nearly 5000 Bangladeshis were left stuck at home after returning on leave as their visas had been revoked by the United Arab Emirates without providing any explanation for the action, reported The Daily Star. The Bangladesh government has requested a review of the cancellations as it brought up the issue with the UAE through diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, the impacted Bangladeshis, estimated to be around 4800, have granted the authorities till 22nd September to address the matter. The visa cancellations came as an unexpected development for many of them. Notifications of visa cancellation started to be delivered through emails or phone messages from July. Some sponsors in the UAE also received them.
In a Facebook post on 7th September (Monday), State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur stated that both his ministry and the foreign ministry were aware that 4,000 visas had been revoked. He mentioned, “Many of them have businesses and shops there. Efforts are underway to resolve the matter diplomatically.”
The affected Bangladeshis have called for monthly aid for these migrants and their families in the amount of Tk 15,000–20,000. They also want government programs to set up jobs for them in other suitable nations if they fail to return to the UAE.
In 1976, Bangladesh started exporting workers to the UAE and over 12 lakh Bangladeshi nationals currently reside there. The Gulf country has grown to be one of the top destinations for Bangladeshi expats during the previous 50 years.
However, the latest issue is not exclusive to Bangladesh. Last year, several Pakistani expatriates had their UAE visas cancelled as well. The Middle Eastern country stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals with ordinary passports, virtually banning their entry. According to reports, while briefing the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry said that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had “stopped short of imposing a ban on the Pakistani passport.”
Notably, Pakistani nationals travelling to the UAE have repeatedly faced visa restrictions this year. In July this year, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi raised the issue with the UAE authorities after several cases of visa rejections. This led to UAE Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan assuring Pakistan that visa approvals will be sped up. In April this year, the UAE ambassador said that visa issues had been resolved and Pakistanis would be eligible for a five-year visa.
