State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said the visas of 626 Bangladeshis in the United Arab Emirates were automatically cancelled. Bangladesh has sent the UAE government a list seeking visa renewals for 417 of them, while information on the remaining people will be submitted in phases. She disclosed the figures to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

Islam said employers also bear certain responsibilities when visas are cancelled because workers lose their jobs. Bangladesh’s embassy is directly coordinating and communicating with the relevant companies. She urged expatriates to comply with the laws of both Bangladesh and their destination country, and advised them to avoid controversial Facebook posts on sensitive issues or politics and to refrain from destabilising activities.

The state minister said the government is moving to amend the 2013 migration law. It plans strict legal action against people involved in fraud, including provisions for up to seven years’ imprisonment for submitting false information or documents. The ministry has also begun coordinated work to reduce migration costs, curb broker fraud, and prevent irregular migration and human trafficking, establishing a separate migration wing at the Foreign Ministry for the first time.