UAE | Visa
27% rise in visa cancellations since amnesty announced
About 60,000 visas have been cancelled in the country since the amnesty was announced, said a senior official of Labour Ministry.
- By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
- Published: 19:01 July 16, 2007
Abu Dhabi: About 60,000 visas have been cancelled in the country since the amnesty was announced, said a senior official of Labour Ministry.
Most of them are likely to be amnesty seekers but the exact figure is not available at this stage, said Humaid Bin Deemas, Assistant Under secretary at the Ministry of Labour.
"About 42,000 visas had been cancelled during the same period last year which shows 27 per cent increase in cancellation that can be attributed to amnesty"
He was speaking at a press conference on Monday at the Ministry of interior. About 3,007 illegal workers have left the country and 3,110 have adjusted their status under the amnesty in Abu Dhabi, said Colonel Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, Director of the Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department (ADNRD).
Brigadier Mohammad Al Merri, Director of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department, earlier told Gulf News that 22,000 illegal workers left the country and 27,000 have regularised their status in Dubai as of Sunday.
About 300,000 illegal workers are estimated to be in the country but only a small number among them have come out so far,said Obaid Rashid Al Zahmi, Assistant Under Secretary at the Ministry of Labour. He appealed to the sponsors to come forward to regularise the status of illegal workers.
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Colonel Al Menhali said aroud 5,000 illegal workers in Abu Dhabi who got the exit passes could not leave the country due to non-availability of flights.
He requested the airlines to operate more flights to facilitate the exit of illegal workers taking advantage of amnesty. He said most of the illegal workers who regularised their status were housemaids.
"Absconders and infiltrators among the illegal workers will be given a life ban. Those who violated entry /labour/ residency laws will face a one-year entry ban only", he said.
The Ministry of Labour is taking all steps to help the absconders to get their passport from sponsors, said Bin Deemas.
"Workers can file complaints with the ministry if their passports are held by the sponsor. We summon the sponsors and ask them to return the passport. If any sponsor keeps the passports, he or she will be fined Dh10,000," said Deemas.
The government had announced the three-month amnesty on June 3 asking illegal workers to regularise their status or leave the country.
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