Citizens of Tajikistan are complaining on social media about difficulties in obtaining visas for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has promised to resolve the issue, according to Asiaplus.tj.
Many social media users report that for the past two weeks, they have been denied visas without any explanation. Representatives from several travel companies have also confirmed the existence of this problem.
Men are not allowed?
In particular, a representative from the travel company "Prestige Tour" stated that currently, only men are being denied visas.
"For the past 15 days, citizens of Tajikistan have been facing this issue. If a visa is requested for the whole family, it is issued, but if men apply separately, their applications are rejected. The reasons for the refusals are not yet explained, but the embassy has stated that citizens who have overstayed their visa even by one hour will be denied," said the company representative.
Hikmatullo Juraev, a representative from the travel company Fly.tj, also confirmed that men's applications for visas when traveling alone are being rejected.
"Fly Dubai informed us that Tajik citizens come to Dubai and break the law, so men traveling alone to this country are not being granted visas," said Juraev.
He added that Fly.tj is currently not accepting applications from men who are applying for a trip individually.
"We are not accepting their applications to avoid misunderstandings when they demand refunds after being denied a visa," he emphasized.
According to him, the problem with men obtaining visas has been ongoing for over 20 days.
The travel company "Atlas-Tour" also stated that men are not being issued visas, while women and families receive them without any problems. The company representatives also mentioned that the authorities have not explained the reasons for the refusals for men.
"Today, a man with his wife and children applied for a visa, and even they were told that a visa could not be guaranteed. As far as we know, Tajik citizens working illegally were found in Dubai, which is why men are not being issued visas. We have not yet received an official explanation," said the company.
Authorities are aware
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan has stated that they are aware of the visa issue with the UAE and are working on resolving it.
"We are aware of this problem and have reached out to UAE representatives for clarification; we are awaiting their response," the ministry stated.
It is worth noting that the cost of a UAE visa for Tajik citizens is 1067 somoni (100 USD).
Since January 1, 2022, Tajikistan has introduced a unilateral visa-free regime with 52 foreign countries, including the UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain, allowing citizens of these countries to stay in Tajikistan without a visa for up to 30 days.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 28, 2024