Immigration authorities in the UAE have ceased issuing work
visas to Bangladeshi citizens, the head of the south Asian nation’s recruitment
association was quoted as saying.
The Gulf state is a major importer of blue collar workers
from Bangladesh, who are also a major source of remittances back to the country.
“Since last week we haven’t had any working visas issued
from the UAE,” Shahjalal Majumdar, president of the Bangladesh Association of
International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), was quoted as saying by AFP.
There has been no confirmation of any change in visa policy
by the UAE and the Embassy to Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to Arabian Business‘s emailed request for clarification.
Bangladeshi nationals working overseas sent home US$12.85bn
in the fiscal year ending June 2012, or 12 percent of the country’s GDP,
according to official data.
There is an estimated 700,000 or so Bangladeshis living and
working in the UAE.
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