UAE mass deportations target thousands of Asian workers, seize their life savings. Recent reports have highlighted a significant wave of deportations from the United Arab Emirates affecting South Asian nationals, particularly those from the Shia Muslim community.

According to an investigative piece by New Lines Magazine, UAE authorities have detained and deported approximately 15,000 Pakistanis, equivalent to around 5,000 families; without formal charges or clear legal recourse.

The process reportedly involved arrests, often at workplaces or residences, confiscation of phones, transfers between detention centers, and swift repatriation flights to South Asia. Many deportees claim they were returned with only the clothes they wore, denied access to their bank accounts or assets accumulated over years or decades of labor in the Gulf.

Targeted Deportations

Mohammad Amin Shaheedi, a senior Shia leader and head of Ummat-e-Wahida Pakistan, described the actions to New Lines as an “organized campaign” targeting Shiite individuals, linked to heightened regional tensions following the US-Israeli war on Iran.

He alleged that Shia identity was sometimes identified through biometric data or names associated with the community. Affected workers, some with 20-25 years in the UAE, reportedly lost properties and savings worth significant sums.

This development occurs amid strained UAE-Iran relations. Pakistan has long supplied a large expatriate workforce to the UAE, contributing billions in remittances annually and supporting sectors like construction, services, and aviation.

Earlier official figures from late 2025 noted thousands of deportations for visa overstays, begging, or immigration violations as part of broader GCC enforcement.

However, the scale and targeted nature alleged in recent accounts, focused on Shia Muslims, have raised concerns about due process and asset handling.