A Disproportionate Risk of Being Executed: Why Pakistani Migrants Are Vulnerable to Capital Punishment in Saudi Arabia.

This article examines the disproportionate use of the death penalty against Pakistani migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, particularly for drug trafficking offenses. Drawing on original empirical data from 2016 to 2021, it finds that Pakistanis, who constitute about 4% of Saudi Arabia's population, represent 15% of death sentences and are approximately 32 times more likely than Saudi nationals to be sentenced to death for drug-related crimes. The analysis links this disparity to factors including the intersection of migration and drug trafficking routes, exploitative recruitment practices under the kafala (sponsorship) system that coerce migrants into drug smuggling, and the lack of effective consular support for Pakistanis compared to other foreign nationals. The article situates these findings within broader issues of citizenship, racialized othering, and state sovereignty in Gulf countries, highlighting how migrant workers' precarious legal status and socio-economic vulnerabilities contribute to their heightened risk of capital punishment.