The first deportations passed almost unnoticed: a few labourers returning unexpectedly to their villages and towns across Pakistan, without luggage or prior warning to their families.
But within weeks, reports of similar expulsions began surfacing across the country. Families started receiving sons, brothers, and fathers, mostly Shia Muslims, who had spent most of their adult lives working in the United Arab Emirates - men who said they were suddenly detained and deported without explanation.
Several Shia community leaders in many parts of Pakistan told Middle East Eye that thousands of Pakistani workers, most of them Shia Muslims employed in the UAE for years, have been deported since mid-April under opaque circumstances.
Many of those expelled said that the UAE authorities never formally explained why they were deported. However, deportees and community representatives believe the campaign reflects mounting suspicion towards Shia communities amid escalating regional tensions involving Iran.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
