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Published : 02 Nov 2023, 09:55 PM
Oman’s decision to ban visas to Bangladeshi citizens is “temporary” and the move was not “political in nature”, the Embassy of Oman in Dhaka has said in an urgent statement.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said the ban would be lifted soon and those who received visas until Oct 31 be able to travel to the West Asian country.
The embassy statement said the visa suspension announced by the Royal Oman Police comes in the context of a comprehensive review process being conducted by the relevant Omani authorities with a view to streamline the regulation of foreign labour market.
The suspension is “in line with the needs and stability of the Omani labour market in a way that ensures the rights of both workers and employers in accordance with labour laws,” the embassy said.
The decision to suspend issuance of visas includes other nationalities and it is temporary in nature, it added.
The authorities are keen to complete the review process as early as possible to resume the visa issuance process afresh in accordance with the guidelines and regulations that concludes the review process, the embassy said.
The Royal Oman Police on Tuesday announced the visa suspension with immediate effect without specifying the reason.
Oman authorities in the statement reiterated and affirmed that the decision was in no way “political in nature”, rather Oman recalls with utmost respect and gratitude the contributions made by Bangladeshi expatriates and values the close ties with the Bangladesh government.
Later, State Minister Shahriar said Oman “assured” them of lifting the ban. “There are no issues. This will not last. The same was done to another South Asian country and was lifted around two months later.”
Mentioning that half of the 750,000 expatriate workers in Oman were from Bangladesh, Shahriar said: “No market has infinite demands.”
Shahriar said middlemen were abusing the recruitment process and advised future travellers to Oman to confirm their employment after going through the documents thoroughly.
However, the ban was not applicable to diplomats and government officials, he said, and if any businessman faced any trouble they were free to contact the foreign ministry.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said: “[The ban] happened suddenly. Our embassy was not told about it beforehand and the announcement was made abruptly. We’ve seen similar bans in other countries and the services resumed later.”
“Last year more than 100,000 workers travelled to the country. Many middlemen sent them there but without any proper employment opportunities. Such issues could have led to the ban. But it’s not permanent. We’re discussing the matter with [Oman authorities].”
Advising people to refrain from travelling abroad illegally, Momen said: “Travelling abroad by spending money but not getting work there is unacceptable.”
