Visa Suspension: Oman’s Decision on Bangladeshi Travelers

Bangladeshi nationals can no longer obtain any kind of visa from Oman until further notice, according to a statement from the Royal Oman Police.

But when it made the announcement on Tuesday on X, the former Twitter, it omitted to mention the reason.

According to the announcement, “The Royal Oman Police, as part of its review of the policies for obtaining some types of visas, announces the suspension of the issuance of all types of visas for Bangladeshi citizens effective Tuesday, 31/10/2023 until further notice, as well as the conversion of all types of tourist and visit visas to work visas for all nationalities coming to the Sultanate of Oman.”

Weeks after an official delegation from Oman visited Dhaka, a decision was made. The visit was led from October 11 to 14 by Ambassador Dr. Sulaiman Saud Al Jabri, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ legal department.

The delegation expressed interest in signing two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Bangladesh, one of which dealt with fighting trafficking and illegal migration, during their meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.

According to a July report, the largest group of foreign workers in Oman are Bangladeshi nationals, numbering 703,840, followed by 530,242 Indians. Over 150,000 more have joined in the past year, according to news portal Arabian Stories.

The decision by Oman to stop issuing visas to visitors from Bangladesh highlights how, in the midst of global concerns, the nature of international travel is changing. This suspension underscores the importance of diplomatic relations and regional security considerations, even though the specific reasons for it may differ. Such actions can have a wide range of effects on people’s mobility, economic opportunities, and diplomatic relations in a globalized world. It is imperative that countries find a middle ground between legitimate security and diplomatic interests and the facilitation of international travel in order to minimize the negative effects on innocent travelers and their means of subsistence.

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