ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior ministry on Friday rejected reports circulating on social media that Pakistani nationals were being deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for political reasons, describing the claims as “vicious propaganda” and “fake news.”
The statement came after a number of social media posts alleged the UAE was deporting Pakistani nationals due to Islamabad’s mediatory support for Iran. Pakistan’s foreign office also dismissed the claims a day earlier, saying the deportations were linked to immigration violations and other legal matters.
The UAE hosts one of the world’s largest Pakistani expatriate communities, numbering around 1.8 million people, and remains a major source of remittances for Pakistan’s economy.
“[The] Ministry of Interior has taken notice of speculative reporting in sections of media especially social media about targeted deportations of Pakistani nationals from [the] brotherly Islamic country of UAE,” the statement said.
“Having gone through the details and data it is necessary to state that all such reporting is malafide and part of vicious propaganda by vested interest,” it added.
The ministry said no country- or sect-specific deportations were being carried out by any state, including the UAE, adding that deportations were a routine process conducted in accordance with host countries’ immigration laws, including cases involving overstays and illegal documentation.
“At the same time Pakistani nationals, having fulfilled host country visa and work based requirements continue to visit / access work visas in UAE and other friendly countries without prejudice,” the statement said.
The ministry also described social media posts suggesting otherwise as “malicious and fabricated,” calling them “fake news.”
It said any issues involving Pakistani nationals abroad were taken up with the concerned countries through established foreign office channels.
In recent years, Pakistani travelers and workers have increasingly reported stricter visa scrutiny, deportations and restrictions linked to overstaying, illegal employment and other immigration violations.
Pakistani nationals in the UAE are the second-largest source of remittances to Pakistan, making their contributions a vital pillar of the national economy.
