The United Arab Emirates has expelled roughly 6,000 Pakistani citizens so far in 2025 on charges of street begging and visa violations, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) disclosed to a parliamentary panel on 20 December. The revelation came alongside figures showing that Saudi Arabia deported 24,000 individuals and Azerbaijan 2,500 for similar offences, bringing total GCC-and-Caucasus-region deportations of Pakistanis to more than 32,000 this year.
UAE authorities have not issued their own statement, but immigration lawyers in Dubai say the removals align with the Federal Law on Entry and Residence of Foreigners, which permits immediate deportation for vagrancy or unauthorised work. The trend follows earlier decisions by the UAE, Oman and Qatar to impose additional scrutiny on Pakistani applicants after spikes in crimes ranging from petty theft to narcotics trafficking.
Amid these shifting requirements, employers and individual travellers can simplify compliance by using visa-services platforms such as VisaHQ, which offers real-time guidance on UAE entry categories, document checklists and application timelines (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/). The service also enables electronic filing and status tracking, helping applicants avoid the procedural missteps that have led to recent deportations.
![UAE deports 6,000 Pakistani nationals amid GCC-wide crackdown on visa misuse]()
For employers, the figures serve as a reminder of the importance of rigorous background checks when hiring blue-collar workers through overseas recruiters. Companies found employing individuals on visit visas face fines up to AED 50,000 per worker, and repeat violations can trigger suspension of labour-quota approvals.
The development also has human-capital ramifications: Pakistan is the UAE’s second-largest expatriate community after India, comprising roughly 1.6 million residents. HR teams managing bulk work-permit renewals should anticipate longer security-clearance timelines while new risk-profiling rules bed in. Mobility advisers recommend submitting visa applications at least six weeks before project start dates and avoiding sponsorship transfers that leave workers in the UAE on visit visas.
At a macro level, the deportations may cool remittance flows to Pakistan, which topped USD 6.3 billion from the UAE in FY 2024/25. Analysts warn that tightening immigration enforcement across the GCC could push more low-skilled workers towards irregular labour markets unless recruitment standards and social protections improve in sending countries.
UAE authorities have not issued their own statement, but immigration lawyers in Dubai say the removals align with the Federal Law on Entry and Residence of Foreigners, which permits immediate deportation for vagrancy or unauthorised work. The trend follows earlier decisions by the UAE, Oman and Qatar to impose additional scrutiny on Pakistani applicants after spikes in crimes ranging from petty theft to narcotics trafficking.
Amid these shifting requirements, employers and individual travellers can simplify compliance by using visa-services platforms such as VisaHQ, which offers real-time guidance on UAE entry categories, document checklists and application timelines (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/). The service also enables electronic filing and status tracking, helping applicants avoid the procedural missteps that have led to recent deportations.
For employers, the figures serve as a reminder of the importance of rigorous background checks when hiring blue-collar workers through overseas recruiters. Companies found employing individuals on visit visas face fines up to AED 50,000 per worker, and repeat violations can trigger suspension of labour-quota approvals.
The development also has human-capital ramifications: Pakistan is the UAE’s second-largest expatriate community after India, comprising roughly 1.6 million residents. HR teams managing bulk work-permit renewals should anticipate longer security-clearance timelines while new risk-profiling rules bed in. Mobility advisers recommend submitting visa applications at least six weeks before project start dates and avoiding sponsorship transfers that leave workers in the UAE on visit visas.
At a macro level, the deportations may cool remittance flows to Pakistan, which topped USD 6.3 billion from the UAE in FY 2024/25. Analysts warn that tightening immigration enforcement across the GCC could push more low-skilled workers towards irregular labour markets unless recruitment standards and social protections improve in sending countries.
