HRW accuses UAE of arbitrarily targeting Pakistani residents

Human Rights Watch made a report on enforced disappearances, incommunicado detention, and groundless deportation committed by the UAE that targeted Pakistani residents.

The NGO said, "United Arab Emirates authorities have forcibly disappeared at least four Pakistani men since October 2020 and deported at least six others without explanation, apparently based solely on their religious background."

"UAE authorities released and immediately deported the six in October and November 2020 after also subjecting them to enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention for between three weeks and five months," HRW added.

The organization mentioned that the 10 were UAE residents, adding that most lived and worked in the country for many years "as managers, sales staff, CEOs of small businesses, as well as laborers and drivers. One man had lived and worked there for over 40 years; another had been born and raised in the UAE."

Human Rights Watch reported that the authorities did not bring charges against any of the released, "Yet summarily deported them without giving them any opportunity to challenge their deportations."

Emphasizing that this was not the first time that Human Rights Watch reported that the UAE authorities had arbitrarily targeted residents of one sect, as it said that, including through arbitrary detention and groundless deportations, "Reports of UAE authorities’ arbitrarily targeting Shia residents, whether Lebanese, Iraqi, Afghan, Pakistani or otherwise, often emerge at times of increased regional tensions."