Nearly 22,000 Pakistani nationals were deported from Gulf countries between March 1 and July 13, 2026, according to figures presented by the government in the National Assembly.
The Ministry for Narcotics Control provided the figures in a written response to a question raised by MNA Hameed Hussain during the National Assembly’s Question Hour. A total of 21,951 Pakistanis were deported during the period for reasons ranging from immigration and visa violations to begging, illegal entry, drugs, forged documentation and security-related issues.
Saudi Arabia accounted for by far the largest share of deportations, sending back nearly 15,500 Pakistanis. The United Arab Emirates deported 3,803, followed by Oman with 1,606, Bahrain with 521, Qatar with 429 and Kuwait with 97.
Government figures provide further insight into the reasons behind the deportations. Some 4,628 people classified as absconders were returned, while 1,294 deportees had been jailed and 968 were blacklisted. Another 1,155 cases involved lost passports, 689 involved visa violations and 342 people were deported after being refused entry into Gulf states.
The data also showed that 472 Pakistani nationals identified as beggars were deported during the period. Nine Pakistanis were returned from the UAE through Interpol, while other deportations involved expired iqamas and passports, immigration violations, theft and other offences.
Saudi Arabia also recorded the largest number of absconder deportations, with 3,921 cases, compared with 636 from the UAE. It deported another 1,924 Pakistanis for overstaying, illegal entry or illegal stay, while the UAE and Oman recorded 347 and 295 such cases respectively.
However, one substantial portion of the official data remains unexplained. Some 6,662 Pakistanis were deported under an “Others” category, with the written government response not specifying the offences or circumstances covered by that classification.
The scale of the deportations is significant for Pakistan, where Gulf states remain among the most important destinations for overseas workers and a major source of remittances.
The figures also highlight the importance of legal migration channels, valid documentation and compliance with the immigration and employment laws of host countries. At the same time, the large unspecified “Others” category means the data should not be interpreted as showing that all deportees were involved in criminal activity.
With Saudi Arabia alone accounting for roughly seven in every 10 deportations reported during the period, the figures underline the scale of Pakistan’s migration relationship with the Gulf and the challenges authorities face in managing legal overseas employment and irregular migration.
