Saudi Arabia Deports Around 40,000 Pakistanis Linked to Terrorism in Only 4 Months

Saudi Arabia has deported almost 40,000 Pakistanis over the past four months, claiming that they were involved with terrorism and is calling for extreme vetting of all Islamic migrants.

From the Middle East Monitor

The deportations were attributed to visa violations, crime and security concerns linking the deportees to terrorist organisations, but come amid a background of migrant worker unrest that has plagued the kingdom over the past year.

Citing “informed security sources”, the Saudi Gazette said that a number of the Pakistanis deported were linked to the Daesh group or terrorist activities. Others were deported over crimes including drug trafficking, theft, forgery and physical assault.

News of the deportations follows intermittent reports of migrant worker protests over unpaid salaries, after the increasing strain on Saudi public finances since the downturn in oil prices over the past years.

Dozens of expatriate workers were flogged and jailed last month following public protests that spilled over into violence, which saw buses torched in Mecca after construction workers at major Saudi companies including the Binladin Group and Saudi Oger had their salaries unpaid.