Nearly 22,000 Pakistani citizens were deported from Gulf countries between March and July 2026, according to data presented to the National Assembly. According to the details, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the National Assembly that 21,951 Pakistani citizens had been deported from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman for various reasons.
The data showed that the deportees included Pakistanis who were involved in illegal residence, drug-related offences, absconding, and violations of residency, visa and immigration laws. Officials said the figures cover Pakistani citizens who were detained by the relevant authorities and subsequently repatriated using emergency travel documents issued by Pakistani embassies. Those who returned to Pakistan voluntarily are not included in the figures.
Officials clarified that the reasons for deportation varied from case to case and included violations of visa, residency, immigration and other local laws. Meanwhile, the government has activated special courts in Islamabad and all 36 districts of Punjab to safeguard the properties of overseas Pakistanis.
Officials advised Pakistani citizens travelling to Gulf countries to strictly comply with visa conditions, residency requirements and other immigration regulations. They also stressed the importance of checking the validity of travel documents and visa conditions before departure. Saudi Arabia recorded the highest number of deportations, with nearly 15,500 Pakistani citizens sent back. The UAE deported 3,803, followed by Oman with 1,606, Bahrain with 521, Qatar with 429, and Kuwait with 97.
Meanwhile, 6,662 Pakistanis were deported under the “Others” category. The Ministry of Interior did not specify the offences or reasons covered under this category in its written response. The data also showed that 472 Pakistani beggars were deported from Gulf countries.
In addition, nine Pakistanis were deported from the UAE through Interpol. Others were deported for reasons including being denied onward travel, using fake identities or documents, having expired iqamas or passports, theft, travelling to war zones, and violating immigration laws.