Play store
The Bangladesh government has begun diplomatic efforts to help expatriate workers return to their jobs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after their visas were unexpectedly canceled while they were on leave in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday that it has sent a list of affected workers to the UAE authorities. As of August 3, details of 985 Bangladeshi nationals had been submitted through diplomatic notes after verification from nearly 2,500 email applications.
The embassy has requested clarification on the reasons behind the visa cancellations, the process for possible reactivation, and assistance for affected Bangladeshis who have businesses, bank accounts, or other assets in the UAE.
However, the embassy stressed that inclusion in the database does not guarantee visa reinstatement, as only the UAE government has the authority to reactivate canceled visas.
The issue has caused concern among many Bangladeshis currently on leave at home, with some rushing to return to the UAE earlier than planned. Many have paid significantly higher airfares or extra fees to change their flight bookings.
A senior embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the UAE has not officially explained the cancellations. Possible reasons include exceeding company worker quotas, mismatched job titles and actual work, violations of labour regulations, administrative issues with employers, document fraud, misuse of investor visas, social media activities that violate UAE laws, and other legal or disciplinary issues.
The official added that the UAE is increasingly using artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to enforce immigration and labour regulations, urging expatriates to strictly comply with local laws. He also noted that Pakistani nationals have reportedly been affected even more than Bangladeshis, while Bangladesh will continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
