By Rajiv Menon 
Dubai, September 23: Panic spread across migrant communities on Monday after reports claimed the UAE had stopped issuing visas to citizens of nine countries. The list circulating online included Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Lebanon and Uganda.
Then came the pushback. Bangladesh’s ambassador in Abu Dhabi, Tareq Ahmed, told reporters the chatter was “fake news,” nothing official, no circular, no order from the Emiratis. Local papers in Dubai carried the same line.
That has not stopped the uncertainty. In Dhaka, travel agents say their phones have not stopped ringing since morning. “Families are scared their paperwork will get rejected. Nobody knows what is real,” one recruiter admitted. He said he has not seen a single official directive.
Migrants Left Guessing
For people in Bangladesh or Sudan, the UAE is not just a destination. It is survival. Nearly 700,000 Bangladeshis live and work in the Emirates, sending money home every month. A freeze on new visas would slam directly into those remittance flows.
The same fear is being voiced in Mogadishu and Kampala. Some workers have already borrowed money to pay agents. If the visa doors shut now, they will be left in debt with no way out.
Even for Lebanese professionals and students, a sudden halt would throw plans into chaos.
Why The UAE Might Do It
The Emirates has history here. In 2020, visas for 13 countries were blocked with little explanation. In 2022, new paperwork hurdles were put on African travellers. Each time, reasons were vague: “security,” “administrative review.” Each time, embassies were left scrambling.
This year, Abu Dhabi is rolling out its Visa Strategy 2026, reshaping who gets in and on what terms. Long-term “golden visas” for investors and skilled workers are being expanded. At the same time, the government is quietly nudging its economy away from dependence on low paid migrant labour.
So when reports of a suspension appeared, they did not sound far fetched. What confused people was the inclusion of countries like Bangladesh and Lebanon, whose citizens have long standing economic ties with the UAE.
India Watching Closely
India is not on the reported list, but it cannot ignore what is happening. With 3.5 million Indians in the UAE, any shake up in the labour market spills into wages, recruitment, and demand back home.
Recruiters in Kerala and Hyderabad said they were already getting calls from worried families asking if India would be next.
Still No Official Word
As of late Monday, the UAE government has said nothing. No press release, no notice from immigration authorities, no official list of affected nations. Just media reports on one side and a diplomat’s denial on the other.
Until that changes, uncertainty will keep spreading. For the workers, the silence itself feels like an answer.
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Specializes in South Asian geopolitics and global diplomacy, bringing in-depth analysis on international relations.
- Rajiv Menonhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/rajiv/
- Rajiv Menonhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/rajiv/
- Rajiv Menonhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/rajiv/
- Rajiv Menonhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/rajiv/
Ananya Sharma and Rajiv Menon