UAE Deportations Surge as Over 20,000 Pakistani Nationals Face Visa Issues

The UAE deported 3,803 Pakistani nationals between March 1 and July 13, as deportations across six Gulf states reached 21,951, according to figures presented to Pakistan’s National Assembly.

The figures, delivered on August 20, 2026, cover removals from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia recorded the largest number, while the Emirates ranked second.

Authorities listed several grounds for removal. They included visa violations, overstaying, illegal entry, begging, drug-related offenses, and forged documentation.

Some cases also involved security concerns. Officials linked certain removals to filming or posting social media material about Iranian missile attacks during the ongoing regional conflict.

The figures cover less than five months. They show removals recorded from March 1 through July 13, rather than a full-year total.

Saudi Arabia accounted for about 15,500 cases. The remaining countries reported smaller totals, ranging from 97 in Kuwait to 1,606 in Oman.

In August 2026, the federation also began enforcing a temporary visa ban on citizens of nine countries. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and Yemen were among those named.

The measure cited security concerns and regional instability. The reported restriction is separate from the removal figures presented to Pakistan’s lawmakers.

Saudi Arabia accounted for most removals in the Gulf figures

The country-by-country figures presented to the National Assembly were:

Together, the six totals reached 21,951. Saudi Arabia’s figure alone represented roughly three-quarters of the reported cases.

The numbers place the Emirates well below Saudi Arabia, but ahead of Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. Each government used its own enforcement process within the wider Gulf region.

The cited grounds span routine immigration breaches and criminal allegations. A person who overstayed a visa could therefore appear in the same overall count as someone accused of using forged documents or committing a drug-related offense.

Some long-term residents lost jobs and assets after removal

The reported effects extend beyond the flight home. Some affected people had lived in the Gulf for years under the kafala sponsorship system.

They lost employment and assets, in some cases with little notice. Removal can also leave families separated from income earners who had built their lives in the region.

The material describes a separate legal problem for people sent to third countries. Such deportees may face difficulty seeking asylum or reuniting with relatives in their home countries.

The figures do not describe every individual case or establish that all removals followed the same procedure. The listed grounds do, however, show how visa enforcement, criminal allegations, and security assessments fed into the regional total.

The social media cases add another layer. Filming or posting about Iranian missile attacks became a cited security issue during the regional conflict, even where the broader count also included overstays and illegal entry.

The August visa restrictions point to continuing scrutiny of entry into the federation. They were announced amid stated concerns about security and instability, while the National Assembly figures documented removals already carried out across the Gulf.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.