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ISLAMABAD:The interior ministry on Friday denied reports about the “targeted deportation” of Pakistanis from the United Arab Emirates, asserting that it had found no evidence of “country- or sect-specific” expulsions from any country, including the UAE.
The ministry’s statement contradicts claims on social media that Pakistanis were being deported from the UAE without any reason.
In recent days, several media outlets have also reported that Pakistanis are being deported from the UAE.
Among them, The New York Times published a report earlier on Friday, stating that the Gulf country had begun a “large-scale expulsion” of Pakistani workers.
The US news outlet spoke to more than 20 Pakistani Shias working in the UAE, adding that “all said they were suddenly arrested, detained and deported in the past month”.
The article linked the reported expulsions to what it described as an apparent dent in relations between the two countries amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Social media posts this week also claimed that Pakistanis were being singled out for deportation from the UAE amid regional tensions.
Following these reports, the interior ministry said in a statement that it had taken notice of “speculative reporting in sections
of media, especially social media, about targeted deportations of Pakistani nationals from the brotherly Islamic country of UAE”.
‘Vicious propaganda’
“Having gone through the details and data, it is necessary to state that all such reporting is mala fide and part of vicious propaganda by vested interests.
No country- or sect-specific deportations from any country, including the United Arab Emirates, are being carried out,” it added.
It said deportations were routine legal actions for visa violations, and that Pakistanis continued to obtain UAE work visas.
“Deportations, if any, are a routine process in line with the host country’s regulations and legal system, violations of their laws, and overstay/illegal documentation,” it continued.
The ministry said Pakistani nationals, who met visa and work requirements, “continue to visit/access work visas in UAE and other friendly countries without prejudice”.
“Fake news being peddled to the contrary, along with social media posts, is malicious and fabricated with a purpose to serve ulterior motives,” it added.
The statement said any issue involving a Pakistani national abroad was “always taken up on a case-by-case basis with the concerned country through established foreign office channels”.
More than 1.7 million Pakistanis live and work in the United Arab Emirates, making them the second-largest expatriate community there.
Remittances from the UAE totalled $4.6 billion in FY2024-25, according to State Bank of Pakistan data.
The United Arab Emirates government has not issued any statement on country-specific deportations.
In recent years, it has tightened visa rules and cracked down on illegal overstayers across all nationalities.
During a weekly briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi was also asked about the “unusually high number” of emergency travel documents (ETDs), or outpasses, being issued by the Pakistani consulate in the UAE.
Mr Andrabi replied that the development was “mainly driven by administrative actions, including immigration status violations and other legal infractions”.
When asked to confirm whether the Pakistani authorities had made inquiries with Emirati officials and law enforcement agencies about the reports of expulsions, he said: “Our embassy is in touch with the UAE authorities. Our mission has also ensured that in the wake of the hostilities in the Gulf region and in the wake of very serious armed attacks against the UAE, which we have condemned, our community fully complies with the local laws and local instructions.”
He further said the Pakistani community, by and large, except for perhaps a few sporadic cases, had been cooperating with the local authorities in the United Arab Emirates.
“So, I think this is the current status.
The Ministry of Interior and relevant departments are also seized of this matter [repatriation].
This matter is proceeding as per law. I do not see any political reason for their deportation.
These are primarily legal cases, which are being handled both by our diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates as well as by the UAE authorities.”
Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2026
