ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Thursday dismissed speculation about the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa policy toward Pakistanis, stating that Abu Dhabi is offering seven times more visas to Pakistani nationals than the number of individuals being repatriated home.

The UAE is home to around 1.8 million Pakistanis and remains one of the country’s largest sources of remittances. Until a few months ago, there had been complaints from Pakistani applicants over prolonged delays and increased scrutiny in visa processes, even as both Islamabad and Abu Dhabi maintained there was no official visa ban on Pakistani nationals.

The Gulf country was issuing visit visas to Pakistani citizens applying through registered travel agents, according to an Arab News report published last month, which cited travel industry representatives and a UAE embassy official.

Asked about reports of the UAE restricting visas for Pakistanis, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told a weekly press briefing that the facts on the ground told a different story.

“Jobs offered by the UAE to Pakistanis are seven times more than the actual number of repatriations,” he said.

“So, on average in the last five years, around 7,000 to 8,000 Pakistanis have been repatriated from the UAE, which is very normal. Conversely, around 40,000 to 50,000 Pakistanis have been employed and have been receiving visas for the UAE.”

These Pakistanis were repatriated by the UAE on various grounds, according to Khan.

“They are repatriated on different grounds... Some Pakistanis go there and overstay after three months, becoming illegal. People involved in fighting and other minor offenses also get repatriated,” he said.

Khan also stated that he was not aware of any visa ban on Pakistanis by the Qatari embassy.

“I think the processing may be taking a little time because the situation is tense, you know. Countries decide based on their national interest, and Pakistan enjoys excellent relations with Qatar,” he said.

“We have a huge diaspora in Qatar working not only in normal domains but also for the armed forces, the police department, and elsewhere. So, I have not seen any specific reports on this issue.”