On Tuesday evening, local media began reporting that the United Arab Emirates was no longer issuing visas for Lebanese passport holders.
Given the fact that many Lebanese seek employment in the UAE, and that many people visit their family members working in the UAE, the news caused quite a stir.
Claim: Dubai immigration has stopped issuing entry permits and visas for a dozen countries, including Lebanon, until further notice.
Some claimed that it was a precaution for the coronavirus spread.
Verdict: Disputed.
Lebanon’s ambassador to the UAE, Fouad Dandan, announced that he contacted the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and confirmed there was no official decision for the information that was being spread.
The961 learned from a source close to Dubai’s immigration office that this news is fake and that it happened before that same fake news was spread.
Despite this, since publishing the original article, at least a dozen Lebanese approached us with their stories of overnight cancellation of their visas with no explanation. Several travel agencies reported no visas available. A few employers in the UAE told us visa processing for Lebanese has been suspended. Full story here.