By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry on Friday denied reports that the United Arab Emirates had begun a large-scale or targeted expulsion of Pakistani nationals, describing the allegations as “mala fide” and part of a “vicious propaganda” campaign by vested interests.
The ministry’s statement, issued on the social media platform X, came hours after The New York Times published a report citing more than 20 Pakistani Shiite workers who said they had been arrested, detained and deported from the UAE in the past month. Social media posts in recent days had amplified claims that the expulsions were politically motivated, with some users linking them to strains in bilateral ties or Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
The Interior Ministry said it had reviewed “details and data” and found no evidence of country- or sect-specific deportations from the UAE or any other nation. “No country or sect specific deportations from any country including UAE are being carried out,” the ministry asserted. Any deportations that occur, it added, are routine actions taken in accordance with the host country’s immigration laws and legal procedures, typically involving visa overstays, illegal documentation or violations of local regulations.
At the same time, the ministry noted, Pakistani nationals who meet the UAE’s visa and work requirements “continue to visit/access work visas in the UAE and other friendly countries without prejudice.” It described circulating social media posts and media reports to the contrary as “malicious and fabricated” efforts “to serve ulterior motives.” Any individual cases involving Pakistani nationals abroad, it said, are handled on a case-by-case basis through established channels at the Foreign Office.
The clarification followed a detailed briefing on Thursday by Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, who addressed questions about an unusually high number of emergency travel documents — known as ETDs or outpasses — issued by Pakistani missions in the UAE. Between January and April 2026, the Consulate General in Dubai issued 2,714 such documents and the embassy in Abu Dhabi issued 780, Andrabi said — a four-month total he described as a record.
Andrabi attributed the figures primarily to “administrative actions, including immigration status violation and other legal infractions.” He said Pakistan’s embassy remains in regular contact with UAE authorities and has urged the Pakistani community to comply fully with local laws, especially amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region. Pakistan has condemned recent armed attacks against the UAE, he noted, and the vast majority of the community has cooperated with Emirati officials. “I do not see any political reason for their deportation,” Andrabi said. “These are primarily legal cases, which are being taken care of, both by our diplomatic missions in UAE as well as by the UAE authorities.”
The UAE is home to roughly 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest such communities in the world and the second-largest source of remittances to Pakistan after Saudi Arabia. Those financial flows remain a critical pillar of the country’s economy. Pakistani workers and travelers have reported tighter visa enforcement and increased deportations in recent years, most often tied to overstays or unauthorized employment rather than political considerations.
Some social media commentary had suggested the expulsions were linked to Pakistan’s repayment last month of $3.5 billion in deposits to the UAE, a move that eased pressure on Islamabad’s foreign-exchange reserves but also fueled speculation of cooling relations. The Foreign Office had already rejected that interpretation last month, describing the repayment as a routine transaction under bilateral commercial agreements. The UAE deposits, placed with Pakistan’s State Bank under mutually agreed terms, demonstrated Abu Dhabi’s “strong support for Pakistan’s economic stability and prosperity,” the Foreign Office said at the time. “This is a routine financial transaction, and any attempt to portray it otherwise is erroneous and misleading,” it added.
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