Pakistani Shia Workers Deported from UAE Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Pakistani Shia Workers Deported from UAE Amid Rising Regional Tensions
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Thousands of Pakistani Shia Muslims have been deported from the United Arab Emirates over recent months, with many alleging that their religious identity played a key role in the expulsions.

The deportations, which began in mid-April, have targeted workers who had spent years in the UAE in sectors such as construction, transport, and low-wage services, an article published on Middle East Eye reported. Families across Pakistan report receiving relatives who returned unexpectedly, often without personal belongings or prior notice.

Interviews with deportees reveal a pattern of surveillance and profiling. Many were summoned to local police stations in the UAE, detained for days at centers such as Dubai’s Al Awir detention facility, and placed on flights to Pakistan without access to legal representation or formal charges. Some described being flagged through biometric systems and identity records at Shia congregation halls (imambargahs), while others were intercepted in public spaces via CCTV monitoring. Several deportees claim that authorities confiscated cash, mobile phones, and bank cards, leaving them stranded upon arrival.

Indian Shia organisations, including the All India Shia Personal Law Board, have also raised concerns regarding the detention and treatment of Indian Shias by authorities in several Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

But while the deportations have taken place within the context of the war in Iran, Shia Muslims described to Middle East Eye that they had been surveilled for years.

Community leaders estimate that up to 15,000 Pakistanis may have been affected, though official figures remain unavailable. Human rights organizations have documented rising restrictions on Shia religious expression in the UAE since 2020, including mandatory ID scans at religious venues and delays or denials of visas and work permits.

After the Abraham Accords normalised relations between the UAE and Israel in 2020, many Pakistani Shia expatriates say they have witnessed a marked shift in the security climate surrounding religious activity.

While Ashura commemorations and majalis (council) gatherings continue to be permitted in some private spaces, Shia community elders say that public mourning rituals and Shia religious events have come under increasing surveillance, with some worshippers later detained and forcibly deported to Pakistan.