Greater than 20,000 Pakistani employees caught within the United Arab Emirates are searching for to return residence, because the Gulf Arab state tightens restrictions because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The UAE, which has reported 1,799 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths, has progressively elevated curbs, together with imposing a nationwide curfew, suspending passenger flights and placing Dubai in a lockdown.
A densely populated Dubai neighborhood the place many South Asian blue-collar employees reside has been sealed off since March 31, and there was door-to-door coronavirus testing in some components of the emirate.
Over 20,000 Pakistanis had registered since April three with the consulate to go residence, a consulate spokesman informed Reuters on Monday.
Those that had registered included some whose visas had expired, who had misplaced their jobs or stopped being paid by their employer in addition to those that entered the nation on customer visas, he mentioned.
Pakistan is an enormous labour provider to the UAE, with greater than 1,000,000 Pakistanis dwelling and dealing within the nation, in keeping with Pakistani diplomats.
Pakistani authorities have been in talks with their UAE counterparts to attempt to organize flights in order that the Pakistanis may return residence, the spokesman mentioned.
Authorities media places of work for the UAE and Dubai didn’t instantly reply to emailed requests for remark.
The UAE suspended all passenger flights final month, although this week airways Emirates and Etihad mentioned they have been resuming some outbound-only companies to restricted locations for these wishing to go away the UAE.
Neither airline has introduced flights to Pakistan. A whole bunch of Pakistanis gathered exterior the consulate on Sunday, regardless of the emirate-wide lockdown, demanding to be despatched residence, Dubai’s Gulf
The News Observers reported on Monday. The consulate spokesman disputed the determine and mentioned police had dispersed the group as they have been in breach of the lockdown.
