Dubai: A total of 220 illegal residents were arrested in Dubai in less than 48 hours as part of a campaign by the general Directorate For Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, the department said.
The campaign conducted by the investigation section at the foreigners and illegal residents follow-up department at the GDRFA was designed to curb the growing number of illegal stayers, a department spokesman said.
Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai said the investigation section at the foreigners and illegal residents follow-up department at the GDRFA arrested 220 expatriates on charges of staying illegally in the country.
They were arrested in a period of less than 48 hours.
Major General Al Merri said that the GDRFA specialised investigation team was designed to control cases of absconders - and encourage them to approach the department in order to amend their legal status or leave the country.
Major General Al Merri, said the officers and staff of the investigation section at the foreigners and illegal residents follow-up department were working hard and had a lot of efforts into curbing the phenomena of illegal residents here.
Major General Al Merri said the Federal laws of the country, including the law of entry and residency of foreigners were designed for the safety and security of society.
“Any breach for the law threatens the stability of the society, because the illegal can commit crimes and affect the safety of the country, “ he said, calling on everyone to cooperate with authority and report the illegal here.
“The illegal can turn themselves to the customer service at the GDRFA who in turn will refer them to the Department of criminal records to check about their records and then they will be referred to the Department of Investigation to conduct the investigation with them before deportation,” he said.
Lt. Colonel Khalaf Ahmad Al Ghaith, Assistant Director General for investigation and Illegal’s follow-up at GDRFA said the team of the illegal’ s follow-up put great efforts on around the clock.
“We will track offenders of the residency law around the clock who will face legal action,” he said.
Lt. Colonel Al Ghaith warned of social security risks and the bad health consequences on the country due the existence of illegal residents. He stressed the need to close the doors that encouraged anyone to stay in the country illegally.
First Lieutenant Majid Mohammad Sha’er, head of investigation section said the section has developed a mechanism to eliminate the phenomenon illegal here by forming a series of intensive random inspection campaigns in the different areas of the Emirate of Dubai, stressing the continuation of these campaigns to control on violators of the laws and regulations of the country and to reduce their risks that threaten the security and stability of society and the safety of its members.
