UAE expels 15,000 Pakistani Shias

Pars Today – The United Arab Emirates has expelled tens of thousands of Pakistani Shia citizens.

According to Pars Today, citing Shabestan News Agency, the United Arab Emirates has forced tens of thousands of Pakistani Shia citizens to return to their country after canceling their residency permits, blocking their bank accounts, and seizing their assets.

This action was not limited merely to deportation. The UAE also froze all assets, bank accounts, and wealth that they had accumulated through years of work and effort, effectively sending them back to Pakistan empty‑handed.

Meanwhile, Surbhi Gupta, editor of the Southeast Asia section at New Lines magazine, said regarding the issue: “In this punitive action, the UAE has expelled 15,000 Pakistani Shias who had considered this Gulf country their home for the past two decades.”

She added: “Many of those who were expelled had gone to the UAE hoping to find suitable jobs and were expelled without explanation. Many of them told me they were taken to detention centers and then flown to Pakistan without even being given their identity documents. They also said that their bank accounts were blocked by the UAE.”