Story perspectives

UAE Deports 7,500 Pakistani Shi'ites, HRW Launches Probe

5/26/2026

Center

UAE Deportations

A Shi'ite organization’s database lists at least 7,500 Pakistani Shi'ites deported from the United Arab Emirates since February 28, likely more.
More than 100 deported Shi'ite workers returned to Chakwal district without jobs, luggage or access to savings.
Pakistan’s interior ministry says the UAE deportations were not sect-based, citing violations of UAE regulations.
Human Rights Watch announced an investigation, calling the deportation reports deeply alarming.

Right

Suicide Bomber Strikes

Israel’s prison service rejected the activists’ allegations of sexual assault and beatings, saying they could not be verified.
A suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden car into a Quetta train carrying security personnel and families, killing over 30 people.
Australian activists detained on the Israeli-intercepted flotilla were flown home, reporting injuries and alleged abuse.
The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, saying the attack targeted exploitation of regional resources.

History

Historical Context

After Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1979 revolution sparked a regional Shi’ite surge, Gulf states tightened sectarian controls; the UAE responded with visa bans that later affected thousands of Pakistani Shi’ite laborers, while over 1.5 million Iranians flooded the streets. Israel’s prison service’s denial of abuse reflects the same security-crackdown legacy that followed the revolution.

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UAE Deportations

A Shi'ite organization’s database lists at least 7,500 Pakistani Shi'ites deported from the United Arab Emirates since February 28, likely more.
More than 100 deported Shi'ite workers returned to Chakwal district without jobs, luggage or access to savings.
Pakistan’s interior ministry says the UAE deportations were not sect-based, citing violations of UAE regulations.
Human Rights Watch announced an investigation, calling the deportation reports deeply alarming.

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