Dubai: A human resources manager of a private company is serving a six-month jail term after being found guilty by an immigration court in Dubai of employing an illegal worker.
The court had ordered the manager to pay a Dh50,000 fine or serve a six-month jail sentence.
Mona. M., the 25-year-old Australian business graduate, told the court that she cannot afford to pay the Dh50,000 fine.
She began serving her term last month at Al Aweer central jail.
She said she joined a local car parking management corporation in Dubai in May last year and found herself accused of employing illegal staff after just seven months on the job.
"I was not aware that human resources managers were responsible for company misconduct under the UAE law," Mona told Gulf News.
Resigned
"I started working with the company in May last year as HR manager," she said.
She said the case which sent her to jail started when police caught three employees working as valet drivers in the Dubai International Financial Centre without a valid visa and took them to Bur Dubai police station.
"I went there with the valet manager and the car park manager to help release the workers as my manager advised me but I was arrested on the charge of being the head of human resources at the company."
"The owners of the company and other senior managers are the ones who actually employed the illegal workers."
Mona said she resigned from the job three months after the case was recorded by the court, and was left to fight the charges alone without any support from the company.
She said two of the workers were released because they previously worked somewhere else and have written permission from their company.
"I came from my country to Dubai to start a professional life, but I ended up in jail," she said.
