UAE Denies Entry to Female Tunisians

A discriminatory decision took Tunisians by surprise, after UAE authorities have denied all female Tunisian nationals entry into the country under a ‘temporary’ travel restriction on Friday, December 22.

Different media reports say that female Tunisians were also banned from boarding flights transiting through UAE airports.

“Based on the higher travel advisory restriction issued by the United Arab Emirates government, airlines are instructed that all Tunisian female nationals will be denied entry to the UAE by API-UAE,” read a statement shared on social media.

UAE officials confirmed the decision, which will last “until further notice”.

The decision was met in Tunisia with outrage and condemnation as social media was awash with angry Tunisians who denounce a “discriminatory and unacceptable act”

Tunisia often depicted as an Arab Spring success story where the Muslim brotherhood has political parties operating as part of government coalition. The existence of political Islam was an issue that put Tunisia at loggerheads with the UAE, which has geared its foreign policy to countering the Muslim brotherhood at home and abroad.