Nepal initiates diplomatic efforts after UAE and other nations tighten visa rules

Kathmandu, September 24

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched diplomatic efforts after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and several other countries tightened visa rules for Nepali citizens.

According to the ministry, coordination is being made through Nepali embassies in the concerned countries to ease the situation. The UAE has suspended visit visas and imposed stricter rules on work visas, while Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other nations have also tightened their work visa policies.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Kshetri said the government is seeking clarifications from its embassies. “We are trying to understand from our embassies why some nations have imposed such restrictions,” he said.

The visa restrictions are linked to the “Gen Z” protests of September 8–9, during which thousands of prisoners escaped from prisons and weapons were looted from security personnel. Citing concerns that escaped convicts could enter their countries and engage in criminal activities, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations have enforced stricter visa requirements.

More than 14,000 inmates fled from prisons across Nepal during the unrest, with around 7,000 still at large. Following this, the UAE was the first to stop issuing visit visas and tighten work visas from September 15, which was later followed by other GCC member states—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.

Manpower agencies confirmed that Malaysia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have also introduced tougher visa procedures. The Foreign Ministry has assured that diplomatic efforts are underway to normalise the situation.

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