UAE deportations put Islamabad under pressure

Islamabad has moved to contain a political storm over deportations of Pakistani nationals from the United Arab Emirates, after opposition lawmakers accused the government of failing to protect workers who they said had been detained, expelled and denied access to savings and belongings.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the Senate that 3,494 Pakistani citizens had been deported from the UAE between January and April, while rejecting claims that Pakistanis were being singled out on political, sectarian or diplomatic grounds. The matter has been referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs after opposition members demanded a formal inquiry and urgent engagement with Abu Dhabi.

The controversy has grown from reports that about 2,000 Pakistanis were expelled from Dubai and Abu Dhabi amid wider Gulf tensions, with some accounts alleging confiscation of money, mobile phones, documents and personal effects. Rights-focused reporting and community testimonies have put the number of affected people higher, with allegations that many were Shia Muslims from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts including Kohat and Hangu. Pakistan’s government has disputed those claims, saying deportations were linked to immigration breaches, legal violations and individual cases rather than a coordinated action against any community.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration is under pressure because the UAE is both a crucial diplomatic partner and one of the largest sources of remittances for Pakistan. More than 1.8 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, sending home billions of dollars each year. Any sustained disruption to work permits, residency renewals or deportation procedures would carry consequences for households dependent on Gulf earnings and for Pakistan’s fragile external finances.

Opposition lawmakers have framed the issue as a test of the government’s ability to defend overseas Pakistanis at a time when Islamabad is navigating competing pressures in West Asia. They have asked why citizens allegedly expelled from the UAE were not given due process, why families were not informed in time, and whether Pakistan’s diplomatic missions had been able to secure access to detainees before repatriation. Some legislators also warned that silence over the matter could weaken confidence among migrant workers across the Gulf.

The government has sought to lower the temperature. Officials have said Pakistan’s relations with the UAE remain “strong and brotherly” and that no credible evidence has been placed before the authorities to prove a targeted campaign. Islamabad’s line is that citizens who violate local laws abroad are subject to host-country procedures, but Pakistani missions will assist those facing distress, documentation problems or unfair treatment.

The timing has made the issue more sensitive. Pakistan has deepened security cooperation with Saudi Arabia amid Gulf tensions, including defence commitments that have drawn scrutiny from regional rivals and partners. Reports of unease between Abu Dhabi and Islamabad have circulated alongside claims that the UAE has tightened scrutiny of Pakistani workers. Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia has been cited by critics as one possible source of friction, though officials have avoided endorsing that explanation.

Economic strains also form part of the backdrop. Pakistan has depended on support from Gulf capitals to stabilise reserves, meet debt obligations and satisfy conditions tied to international lending. Saudi financial backing has helped Islamabad manage pressure linked to UAE repayments, while Gulf remittances remain a pillar of Pakistan’s balance of payments. That dependence limits how aggressively the government can challenge Abu Dhabi in public.

For the UAE, immigration enforcement has hardened over concerns about overstaying, begging, document fraud and criminal networks. Pakistani officials were told in earlier parliamentary discussions that Gulf states had raised concerns about misuse of visit visas and unlawful activity by a small section of migrants. Islamabad has since promised stronger screening, better skills certification and tighter controls on labour agents sending workers abroad.

The allegations over confiscated assets are among the most difficult to verify. Deportees and families have claimed that some workers were removed without being allowed to withdraw wages, close bank accounts, recover passports held by employers or collect household goods. Pakistan’s missions would need individual case records, employer details and UAE custody documents to establish whether assets were seized by authorities, retained by employers or left inaccessible because of abrupt removal.