The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 countries including Pakistan and Afghanistan over security concerns.
The UAE has also stopped issuing visas to citizens from Iran, Turkey, Syria, Algeria, Kenya, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Tunisia and Somalia, among others. It must also be noted that these are countries where Islam is the state religion or the population of the country is predominantly Muslims.
An immigration document released by the UAE said that applications for new employment and visit visas have been suspended until further notice for nationals outside the UAE from the said countries.
The report said the UAE has temporarily stopped issuing new visas to most of the Muslims majority countries on the list among others over security concerns. But the visa ban is expected to last for a short period.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry last week in its briefing had said that the UAE had stopped processing new visas for its citizens. Islamabad is trying to ascertain if the suspension of new visas is due to the coronavirus pandemic or other reasons.