Gulf countries deport more than 21,000 Pakistanis between March 1 and July 13, 2026, according to written responses in Pakistan’s National Assembly citing figures provided by the Ministry for Narcotics Control. The reported total is 21,951 deportations, attributed to a range of reasons including overstaying, illegal entry, drug-related cases, begging, refused asylum, forged documentation, lost passports, visa violations, and security concerns.
The figures also break down the reported categories and where deportations occur. Pakistanis are said to be deported most from Saudi Arabia (nearly 15,500), followed by the United Arab Emirates (3,803) and Oman (1,606), with smaller numbers from Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. The report lists additional classifications such as absconders, jailed individuals, blacklisted cases and deportations linked to lost passports. It also notes that some deportations are processed through Interpol and that several individuals are sent back after onward travel is refused or for issues such as expired iqamas and passports.
Outlets frame the same dataset differently. Dawn provides the full category and country breakdown, including counts for absconders, visa issues and refused entry. NDTV emphasizes the overall scale and highlights security and immigration concerns, including begging, as key reasons cited by Gulf authorities.
