Warning: Don’t travel on tourist visas to look for jobs
ISSUE OF INDIANS, PAKISTANIS DENIED ENTRY TO DUBAI PROMPTS WARNING
Following hundreds of ‘ jobseekers’ being denied entry at Dubai airport for not meeting visa requirements, the Pakistani and Indian missions yesterday warned their citizens not to come to Dubai on tourist/ visit visas to hunt for jobs.
The Pakistan consulate said 1,374 passengers were denied entry in Dubai since Tuesday. A consulate spokesperson told Gulf News yesterday that 1,276 were sent back and 98 are remaining at the airport.
The Indian consulate said around 300 Indian passengers had been denied entry. “Around 80 were allowed in later. Now, 49 are still at the airport and we are trying to send them back by tonight or tomorrow,” a spokesperson said.
Strict implementation
Both missions have informed authorities to ensure that passengers on tourist visas have valid return ticket, hotel booking and at least Dh2,000.
“There are now two check points, at the check- in counters and at the immigration counters. If the officials suspect that a passenger on tourist visa is flying to Dubai seeking job, he will not be allowed to fly,” a Pakistani official said.
An Indian consulate official reiterated that blue- collar workers should be recruited only through the e- Migrate online recruitment portal. “We request our fellow Indians to come on proper visas. If they are genuine tourists, they should possess sufficient means to cover their expenditure. And if they are coming for a purpose other than tourism, we request them to get the right visa,” he said.
The missions are in discussions with Dubai authorities to resolve the issue. They have also sought to expedite the deportation procedures for those who do not fulfil entry rules.
Airlines, travel agents and diplomats had earlier said that they had been informed that visit and tourist visa holders from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh must hold a valid round trip ticket for the entry in Dubai.