What is behind UAE deportation of Lebanese nationals?
Although UAE authorities maintain that the recent decision to deport dozens of Lebanese nationals was made over security concerns, others believe that political alignments may have played a role.
BEIRUT — The decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in March to deport 70 Lebanese residents, most of them Shiites, giving them a deadline of less than 48 hours to leave, came as a surprise to Lebanon. This is not the first time that Lebanese have been deported from Gulf states — in 2009 the UAE deported dozens of Lebanese Shiites. At the time, the reason behind this decision was said to be suspected links with Hezbollah. There have also been other deportations, in 2012 for instance, but no reason was given then. In 2013, Qatar deported 18 Lebanese based on a decision issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council states to impose sanctions on Hezbollah as a result of its military intervention in Syria alongside regime forces. However, this is the first time that such a large number has been sent home at the same time, and at such short notice.
With each deportation, fear spreads among Lebanese citizens of various sects in the Gulf states. Information is still circulating in the press about other impending deportations.
So what are the reasons for this latest move? The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants was quick to issue a statement on March 13, saying, “The Lebanese present in the UAE are fully integrated into Emirati society; they abide by Emirati rules and are a positive and prosperous factor in this dear country.” The issue was a priority item on the agenda of the council of ministers’ meeting held on March 19, and it was decided to follow up on the matter with the UAE authorities.
For his part, following a meeting with the ruler of Dubai, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam said, “Lebanese are not targeted in the UAE. The decision to deport 70 Lebanese comes in the context of security measures taken by the state.”
