Abu Dhabi: Employers across the UAE have been warned against employing illegal immigrants as the end of the amnesty period approaches.
The amnesty period, which was declared in December 4, ends on Monday. It is the last day for illegal immigrants to apply for amnesty.
A statement sent by the Ministry of Interior on Saturday said that 24-hour inspections will be launched to detect visa violators once the February 4 deadline lapses.
A Dh50,000 fine will also be issued to those who employ persons not under their sponsorship, as well as to companies and individuals that allow their sponsored personnel to work for others.
Major General Nasser Al Awadhi Al Menhali, assistant undersecretary for naturalization, residency and port affairs at the MoI, said the ministry would soon pursue initiatives to reduce the number of visa violators in the UAE.
“These include awareness campaigns to warn residents about the risks of visa violations, as well as applicable fines and penalties for any offenders,” he said.
Brigadier General Dr Abdullah Ali Bin Sahoo, director of the General Directorate for Residency and Foreign Affairs in Sharjah and chairman of information for the amnesty campaign, also urged upon residents to cooperate with the MoI in reporting violators.
He explained that visa violations contribute to the spread of crime and employment, and threaten national security. A campaign, entitled Saahem, has also been launched recently by the MoI to create awareness of such risks and to encourage reporting of violations.
This is the fourth amnesty period declared in the UAE. The 60-day amnesty initiative allows visa violators to come forward and either regularise their visas, or leave the country without penalties.
In general, overstaying in the UAE after the expiry of a residence visa is fined at Dh25 per day. To regularise visas, immigrants must pay all the daily fines accrued as a result of overstaying.
By mid-January, more than 10,000 illegal residents had already availed of amnesty and had left the country, according to an MoI statement released at the time. By then, the 10 amnesty centres in the UAE had also received more than 25,000 applications from illegal residents of 106 countries.
