A Senate panel was informed on Monday that all Pakistani travellers to the United Arab Emirates would need to be vetted and verified by the police.

The development comes amid growing discontent among Middle Eastern states over the increased numbers of Pakistanis involved in begging that has spurred authorities into action as they have started vigilant screening of passengers travelling to those destinations.

The UAE authorities also started actively declining visas to Pakistanis who did not have enough money in their accounts to prove them as “genuine visitors”, according to travel agents.

During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development today regarding the UAE’s unofficial visa restrictions, especially for employment visas, Bureau of Emigration of Overseas Employment Director General Muhammad Tayyab informed the panel: “No case of travelling to the UAE will now be allowed without police verification.”

He added that travel agents were also instructed in this regard.

A post on the Senate’s Facebook page said Committee Chairman Senator Zeeshan Khanzada emphasised the need for more action as people were questioning when visa-related issues would be resolved.

He also noted that agents claimed to meet all requirements when applying for visas, yet visas were still not being issued. Seeking clarity on the underlying problem, the committee chairman pointed out that while people were increasingly seeking opportunities in other countries, the UAE remained a key labour market.

Khanzada said there was still significant pressure and many challenges for those affected and suggested the provision of updates on compliance and a timeline for resolving the issues so the public could be better informed.

The statement said that other committee members also expressed reservations regarding the update on visa restrictions.

Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD) Secretary Arshad Mahmood clarified that restrictions did not imply a complete denial.

He explained that, as far as Dubai was concerned, there were no restrictions, and each country had its own objectives.

The secretary emphasised that there were no restrictions on skilled labour, although there had been a recent decline in the demand for unskilled labour.

He noted the need to focus on sending more skilled workers abroad, adding that approximately 700,000 workers had already gone abroad this year.