Middle East Airspace Disruptions – Immigration Considerations

During geopolitical unrest in the Middle East, significant disruptions to air travel have emerged, affecting several countries. Current tensions between various nations have led to temporary closures of airspace, causing widespread flight cancellations and potential disruptions to regional travel routes across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. This includes but is not limited to Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Due to these regional developments, companies with interests in these jurisdictions should be prepared for potential interruptions impacting travel and immigration processes. The key considerations for businesses and foreign national employees include:

Key Considerations

• Travel Delays and Entry Restrictions: With frequent flight changes, business travellers and expatriates may experience entry or exit delays. Visa-on-arrival options and entry validity periods could be compromised by these disruptions.
• Visa Expiry and Overstay Risk: Individuals nearing the end of their visa tenure might face overstaying issues due to unexpected travel cancellations, necessitating immediate attention to their immigration status (although governments may on a discretionary basis exercise waivers) .
• Work Permit Activation Timelines: New employees or those awaiting residence permit activations might see delays impacting onboarding and payroll processes.
• Dependent and Family Travel: Potential postponement of family travel can influence dependent visas and medical insurance arrangements.
• Remote Work Considerations: Employers are advised to consider and prepare for remote work strategies in cases where international mobility is interrupted.

Recommended Actions

• Perform an immediate reassessment of global travel plans within the GCC, with active communication with airlines for up-to-date flight information.
• Stay up to date with host government advice, as well as foreign ministry/embassy advice relating to respective nationals around travel advice and other relevant information.
• Re-evaluate remote working policies in-line with host government advice.
• Prioritize filing for immigration extensions for employees whose statuses may expire in the upcoming 30 to 60 days.

Deloitte’s view

We advise clients to closely monitor the evolving situation. The ability to quickly adapt to these disruptions will mitigate potential operational impacts, particularly concerning compliance and employee well-being. Our organization stands ready to support clients through strategic planning and implementation of flexible work arrangements during this uncertain period.

We are committed to keeping our clients informed with the most recent updates and advise reaching out for personalized assistance related to ongoing and arising immigration concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further guidance and support.