Travel agents on the spot over Pakistanis’ transit through Kenya
Travel agents are receiving the stick for organising the controversial trips that have seen more than 20,000 Pakistanis transit through Kenya for their job destinations in Saudi Arabia, in the last three months.
On Saturday, Pakistani High Commissioner to Kenya Saqlain Syedah told the Nation everyone arriving through Kenya has done so with valid documents which she said had been obtained legally at a fee. She clarified that Pakistanis no longer enter Kenya on free transit visas, but she accused the travel agents of duping her nationals to travel longer distances just to dodge Covid-19 regulations.
“All Pakistani transit passengers have valid e-visa, travel documents, vaccination certificates and hotel bookings for the period of quarantine,” she said.
“The travel agents are to be blamed because they are overcharging travellers, only to bring them to conditions that are not worth of the amount of money they are paying. We will hold discussions between our two governments to ensure that proper information is available to travellers,” she told the Nation.
Ms Syedah spoke to the media for the first time this week after several hundred Pakistanis were rounded up by police for holding invalid travel documents. By Saturday, at least 200 Pakistanis had been deported, while others had been advised to continue with their journey to Saudi Arabia, where they are headed for work.
Trips to Saudi Arabia
Ms Syedah said that most of the Pakistanis who had initially been rounded up, before being released on Friday, have paid up to $4,000 each to organise trips to Saudi Arabia. The package includes air tickets, airport transfers and transit lay-overs in countries that will not give the travellers hard time entering Saudi Arabia.
“The government of Pakistan will usually not be involved in the issuance of visas by Kenya and we believe that once those visas are issued on valid documents, there should be no reason to doubt they are genuine documents.
“It is also not true that they are on free transit visas. That used to be based on goodwill in the past and it stopped at the onset of Covid-19,” she added.
As Kenya is allowed easier entry options to Saudi Arabia, most Pakistanis have been making longer but relatively cheaper trips to Nairobi where they can quarantine for two weeks before departing for Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan, India, Brazil, South Africa and several other countries with either new variants or higher Covid-19 infection rates have their flights to Saudi Arabia restricted. The options for travellers is to either fly to Dubai, UAE and quarantine, or fly to a cheaper place. Nairobi seems to be that place.
Crackdown
Last Wednesday, Kenya announced a crackdown on illegal immigrants from Pakistan and imposed a freeze on free transit arrangements it has with the Asian country in a bid to prevent the possible spread of Covid-19.
The Pakistan High Commission clarified free transits were abolished once Kenya launched e-Visas at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms Syedah told the Nation that Pakistanis allowed entry into Kenya obtained visas through the online system launched by the Kenyan Department of Immigration.
Ms Syedah said the Mission has not directly been contacted on the issue, leaving her government to rely on media reports for updates.
Kenya’s Interior ministry said it was reacting to the surge in numbers of many Pakistanis coming through the country on their way to Saudi Arabia.
Since June, some 20,094 have arrived, taking advantage of softer Covid-19 regulations on travellers from Kenya to the Middle East. By Saturday, some 8,000 Pakistanis had left the country for Saudi Arabia.
Abuse of transit provisions
Interior and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said authorities had noted a possible abuse of existing transit arrangements between Kenya and Pakistan.
At least 14,000 Pakistanis in Kenya are waiting for their scheduled flights to depart for Saudi Arabia.
The Department of Immigration and the National Police Service will now check the papers of all those who have already arrived in the country in the recent past. Those without transit visas will be deported.
The Immigration Department will also freeze further transit visas to Pakistanis in a bid to limit their numbers.
The Pakistan ambassador suggested there will be collaborations in future by both governments to ensure rogue agents do not dupe travellers.
Crowded apartments
The Pakistanis were being housed in crowded apartments and charged Sh3,000 per day, which Ms Syedah admitted could negate the idea of quarantine.
Last week, Kenya told those who have completed their stay times to leave the country, although it deported others who had been found staying on transit visas which Nairobi now says will no longer be a basis for entry into the country.
As it is, Pakistanis with valid entry visas to Kenya will be allowed to stay around.
Free transit visas that have been the norm will be halted, a source explained, saying those who arrive after Sunday on transit visas will be refused entry and turned away.
The source explained that the measure will help Nairobi manage its obligations with countries that have allowed it softer entry terms, in spite of Covid-19.
Dr Kibicho said the crackdown will be led by the Department of Immigration and the National Police Service, although he did suggest that those already in the country have mostly been let in on transit visas while en route to Saudi Arabia for work.
Government Spokesman Col (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna had indicated most of the arrivals had been let in as tourists. BY DAILY NATION

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