The United Arab Emirates has reportedly expelled thousands of Pakistani Shia workers in recent weeks, further straining relations between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi. The reported move comes only a month after the UAE sought repayment of a $3.5 billion loan from Pakistan, according to reports cited by The New York Times. Community leaders and clerics in Pakistan have said the deportations have impacted thousands of families and may deal a serious blow to the country’s economy, which relies heavily on remittances sent by workers employed in Gulf nations.
UAE Deportations Reportedly Underway Since Mid-April
According to The New York Times, the deportations of Pakistani Shia workers have been taking place since at least mid-April. An Islamabad-based cleric associated with a Shia political organisation claimed that nearly 5,000 families have already been registered as being affected by the expulsions.
Leaders from Shia-majority villages in Pakistan’s northwest also said that close to 900 men had returned from the UAE over the past few weeks.
The reported crackdown has triggered concern in Pakistan because nearly 2 million Pakistani nationals currently live and work in the UAE. Last year, Pakistani workers in the Gulf country reportedly sent home around $8 billion in remittances, making the UAE one of Pakistan’s largest overseas income sources.
UAE Targeting Pakistani Shia Workers
The New York Times report stated that the action appeared to be focused mainly on Pakistani Shia workers. It noted that Shia workers from countries including Iraq and Lebanon were reportedly not part of the deportation campaign.
Eight business owners operating in the UAE also told the newspaper that several Pakistani employees had recently been expelled.
Pakistan Rejects Reports Of UAE Deporting Workers
Responding to the reports, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior on May 8 said it had taken note of what it described as “speculative reporting” circulating in sections of the media, particularly online and on social media platforms.
The ministry said it was “necessary to state that all such reporting is malafide and part of vicious propaganda by vested interests.”
It further stated that “Pakistani nationals, having fulfilled host country visa and work-based requirements, continue to visit / access work visas in UAE and other friendly countries without prejudice.”
The ministry also claimed that “fake news [is] being peddled to the contrary” in order to “serve ulterior motives.”
In its statement, the ministry added that issues concerning Pakistani nationals abroad are “always taken up on a case-by-case basis” with the concerned foreign government or authority.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
