Last month, the United Arab Emirates abruptly stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 Muslim-majority nations over “security concerns.”
Pakistan’s foreign minister says he hopes the problems facing members of the Pakistani diaspora following an abrupt visa ban imposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month will be resolved soon.
“The Pakistani community and our diaspora in the United Arab Emirates have contributed significantly to the progress and development of the United Arab Emirates and it is recognized and appreciated and we are grateful for that. There are some issues of concern that I discussed and I look forward to a resolution from them, ”Shah Mehmood Qureshi said at a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
He said discussions with the UAE on the visa issue are ongoing and that he will meet with top UAE intelligence officials later on Friday to discuss the matter.
On November 18, the United Arab Emirates abruptly stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 countries, mainly Muslim-majority, over “security concerns,” according to a report by the Reuters news agency.
The countries were Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen.
Citizens of those countries who were already in the UAE did not appear to be affected by the new restrictions.
On Thursday, Qureshi held talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, who also serves as the UAE’s prime minister, vice president and defense minister, in Dubai about the visa ban.
“[Qureshi] they discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two sister countries, the possibilities of improving bilateral trade relations and promoting investment, particularly in the field of agriculture, “read a Pakistani statement after the meeting.
“The Foreign Minister also discussed issues related to the welfare of the Pakistani diaspora in the United Arab Emirates.”
Qureshi also met with Gulf State Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on Thursday, according to a statement from the UAE government.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday regarding Qureshi’s meeting with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates.
“Praising the hard work and dedication of Pakistani professionals and workers in the UAE, Foreign Minister Qureshi acknowledged their positive contribution to the progress and development of the UAE, as well as Pakistan,” he said.
The statement said Qureshi “discussed with his counterpart issues related to the well-being of the Pakistani diaspora and emphasized the need to further strengthen the ties between peoples between the two sister countries.”
Last month, Qureshi raised the visa issue with UAE Minister of State Reem al-Hashimi during a meeting on the sidelines of an Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in the Nigerian capital Niamey.
The UAE is home to the second-largest population of Pakistanis abroad in the world, according to government data, and is a key source of foreign exchange for Pakistan in the form of remittances from those workers at home.
Last month, approximately 1.5 million Pakistanis in the UAE sent home $ 519.5 million, accounting for 22 percent of all foreign remittances and ranking second overall in remittances by country, according to data from the central bank of Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia tops that list, with Pakistani workers sending home $ 615.1 million in November.
Asad Hashim is the digital correspondent for Al Jazeera in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim.
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