Pakistan is not the only country issuing single-name passports in the region.
Pakistan passengers with a single name on their passports will not be allowed to enter the UAE, said Pakistan’s private airline quoting revised naming guidelines.
“The UAE government has revised the naming guidelines for allowing entry in the Emirates. As per the guideline update, passengers holding passports with [only] a single name and no other name – including, father name/family name – will not be accepted,” Serene Air said.
This announcement has raised concern among many, as it seems to be targeting a specific group of travelers. The policy has even caused outrage among Pakistani citizens and human rights advocates who see it as discriminatory.
The carrier said travellers with a single name, either in the ‘first name’ or the ‘last name’ category on the passport, will not be permitted to enter the UAE.
Pakistan-UAE is one of the busiest air routes as South Asian nationals account for the second largest expatriate community in the UAE, totalling around 1.6 million.
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