Saudi Arabia has deported up to 4000 Pakistanis during the past four months. These Pakistani nationals have been accused of being involved in various terrorist incidents in the kingdom.
Among other things, Pakistanis have also been accused of being involved in drug trade and petty crime.
Saudi officials are now demanding strenuous visa procedures for Pakistanis. Immigrant workers are being forced to leave the country without any proof of their involvement in criminal activity by the Saudi Government.
It has also been reported that Saudi companies have failed to make payments to their expat employees recently; several thousand of whom are Pakistani. In order to provide relief to these workers, the government of Pakistan has set up an emergency fund.
Saudi Arabian society, like the rest of the world, has been getting extremely anti-immigration of late, partly driven by a general economic downturn which forces local people to accuse foreign workers of ‘stealing jobs’ and/or taking away a country’s wealth.
Pakistan is yet to respond to the unfortunate deportations and baseless claims of criminal activity by Pakistani nationals, being carried out by the Saudis.