Excerpt: Pakistan’s interior ministry has dismissed social media reports of targeted deportations of Pakistanis from the UAE as fake news.
Pakistan’s interior ministry on Friday rejected reports circulating on social media that the UAE was deporting Pakistani nationals for political reasons. The ministry called the claims “vicious propaganda” and “fake news,” issuing a formal statement to counter what it described as malicious and fabricated content.
The denial came after posts on social media alleged that Pakistani expatriates were being deported from the UAE because of Pakistan’s mediatory role in support of Iran. The claims spread widely, prompting Pakistan’s foreign office to issue its own dismissal a day earlier on Thursday. The foreign office said the deportations being cited were linked to immigration violations and other legal matters, not political motivations.
The interior ministry followed up Friday with a more detailed rebuttal. “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 read.
Pakistan Interior Ministry Calls Deportation Reports Malafide
The ministry said it had reviewed the details and data before issuing its statement. “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 said.
It clarified that no country-specific or sect-specific deportations were being carried out by any state, including the UAE. The ministry said deportations are a routine process that host countries conduct in line with their immigration laws, covering cases such as overstays and irregular documentation.
It also confirmed that Pakistani nationals who meet the visa and work requirements of host countries continue to access work visas in the UAE and other friendly countries without any issue. “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 labeled social media posts suggesting otherwise as “malicious and fabricated” and called them out as fake news. It said any concerns involving Pakistani nationals abroad are addressed through established foreign office channels with the relevant countries.
UAE Hosts 1.8 Million Pakistanis and Remains a Key Remittance Source
The UAE is home to one of the largest Pakistani expatriate communities in the world, with around 1.8 million Pakistani nationals living and working there. The country is also one of the biggest sources of remittances flowing into Pakistan’s economy.
The social media posts prompted concern among Pakistani expatriates and their families back home given the scale of the community in the UAE and its financial importance to Pakistan. Both the foreign office and the interior ministry moved to address those concerns directly, describing the claims as having no basis in fact.
The interior ministry’s statement made clear that the government views the matter as misinformation and that no evidence supports the narrative of politically motivated deportations being carried out against Pakistani nationals in the UAE.
