Gulf Countries Deport Over 20,000 Pakistanis For Begging, Security Reasons

More than 20,000 Pakistani nationals were deported from Gulf countries between March 1 and July 13, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates accounting for the overwhelming majority of the cases, according to official figures presented in Pakistan's National Assembly on Thursday.

The data, provided by the Narcotics Control Ministry, sheds light on the scale of deportations as Gulf authorities cited security concerns as well as immigration and criminal violations.

Saudi Arabia Accounts For Most Deportations

Saudi Arabia recorded the highest number, with 15,500 Pakistanis deported during the period. The UAE followed with 3,803 deportations.

The other Gulf Cooperation Council countries reported significantly lower numbers: Oman deported 1,606 Pakistanis, Bahrain 521, Qatar 429 and Kuwait 97.

The figures cover all six GCC countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

Absconders, Visa Violators Among Those Sent Back

The ministry said deportations were carried out for a range of reasons, including illegal entry, overstaying, begging, drug-related offences, security concerns and forged or improper documents.

Among those deported were 4,628 absconders, while 1,294 people who had been jailed were also sent back.

Another 968 people were blacklisted, while 1,155 cases involved Pakistanis whose passports had been lost. A further 689 people were deported for visa violations and 342 in refused-entry cases.

More than 6,000 deportations were recorded under the broad category of "Others", with no further breakdown provided by the ministry.

Pakistanis Detained Over Iran War-Related Videos

The ministry's data also highlighted cases involving Pakistanis who were detained or deported for filming or uploading videos and other material related to Iranian attacks in their cities amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States.

The cases add a security dimension to the broader wave of deportations, which otherwise includes a mix of immigration violations, criminal cases and documentation problems.

Only Formal Deportations Included

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told lawmakers that the figures do not represent every Pakistani who left the Gulf during the period.

He said the data covered only people who were formally detained by authorities and deported after Pakistani missions issued emergency travel documents.

Pakistanis who left voluntarily or returned using valid passports were not counted in the figures.

The data therefore reflects formal deportation cases rather than the total number of Pakistanis who may have been forced to leave or returned from the Gulf during the four-month period.