More than 20,000 Pakistanis deported from Gulf countries since March

More than 20,000 Pakistanis were formally deported from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries between March 1 and July 13, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for most of the cases, according to figures presented in Pakistan’s National Assembly.

Saudi Arabia deported the highest number of Pakistani nationals at 15,500, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 3,803. Oman reported 1,606 deportations, while Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait recorded 521, 429 and 97 cases respectively.

The figures, provided by Pakistan’s Narcotics Control Ministry, show that deportations were linked to a range of issues, including immigration violations, criminal offences, security concerns and improper documentation.

Among those sent back were 4,628 people listed as absconders and 1,294 who had served time in prison. Another 968 Pakistanis were blacklisted, while 1,155 cases involved people who had lost their passports.

The data also included 689 deportations over visa violations and 342 cases involving people who were refused entry. More than 6,000 cases were placed under the ministry’s broad “Others” category, without further details.

Some cases were also linked to security concerns surrounding the conflict between Iran and the United States. Pakistani nationals were detained or deported for recording or sharing videos and other material related to Iranian attacks in their cities.

However, the figures do not cover every Pakistani who left the Gulf during the period.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told lawmakers that the data only included people who were formally detained and deported after Pakistani missions issued emergency travel documents.

Those who returned voluntarily or left the Gulf using valid passports were not included. As a result, the figures represent formal deportation cases rather than the total number of Pakistanis who may have returned or been forced to leave the region during the period.