ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistani nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are safe, clarifying that only individuals involved in begging and other criminal activities are facing deportation.
In an interview with a Pakistani television channel, Defence Minister Asif dismissed “rumours” circulating on social media about the mass deportation of Pakistanis from the Gulf state.
Asif said that only a limited number of Pakistanis had been deported from Gulf countries for legal violations, including begging and other offences. He added that such cases should not be politicised.
“The UAE only deported people who are beggars and criminals,” he said.
Asif rejected claims that millions of Pakistanis were being expelled from the UAE, saying such claims were false and misleading.
The Defence Minister said the situation of Pakistani expatriates in the country remained stable.
He stressed that more than 2.3 million Pakistanis were living and working in the UAE and contributing to both economies.
“There is no breakdown in relations. Both brotherly countries are enjoying strong bilateral relations,” he said.
The Defence Minister said a small number of individuals involved in begging and criminal activity had negatively affected Pakistan’s image abroad.
He added that such behaviour had also contributed to stricter visa policies in some Middle Eastern countries.
Asif said Pakistan respected the laws of host countries and that most Pakistani expatriates were law-abiding citizens.
The Defence Minister said that relations between Pakistan and the UAE remain strong and stable, and there is no indication of any policy shift affecting the Pakistani workforce abroad.
Begging mafia responsible for visa restrictions
In an earlier statement, Asif had blamed the begging mafia groups for the visa restrictions on Pakistanis by Gulf countries.
Last year, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offloaded 66,154 passengers to curb organised gangs of beggars and illegal immigrants from travelling abroad.
The FIA director general told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development that 51,000 of these individuals were stopped due to questionable veracity of their travel documents, falling into three main categories: work visas, tourist visas, and Umrah visas.
Asif highlighted that illegal migration and begging rings were severely damaging Pakistan’s international image.
“Begging has become a full-fledged profession. It is completely organised. There are regular contractors who recruit children, women and fake disabled people and earn crores,” Asif said in a statement.
