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Abu Dhabi targets farms to weed out illegal workers

Abu Dhabi Municipality requested the co-operation of the public to contain illegal residents as many illegal labourers were recently found staying in farms, a senior official told Gulf News yesterday.

  • By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:43 October 29, 2008
  • Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Municipality requested the co-operation of the public to contain illegal residents as many illegal labourers were recently found staying in farms, a senior official told Gulf News yesterday.

"We are joining hands with other law enforcement authorities to inspect more than 4,700 farms under our jurisdiction as part of the efforts to contain illegal residents, said Engineer Omar Mohammad Al Hashemi, Division Manager, Municipal Offices at Abu Dhabi Municipality.

"Our inspectors found many illegal labourers without any documents rented the 'illegal accommodations' in the farms". The official said the inspectors found illegal constructions in more than 300 farms had accommodated bachelors, including labourers, illegally. "About 185 farms have started to demolish the illegal structures following our warning and another 116 cases have been referred to Municipal court," said Al Hashemi.

"The government departments and agencies have stopped giving any aid and provisions to those 116 farms. Purchasing fruits and vegetables from those farms has also been stopped," he said.

The official said there are 4,692 farms under Al Shahama and Al Wathba Municipal Centres and they are joining hands with Police, Immigration and Labour Departments to comb the farms to nab illegal residents. "It is not just illegal construction but accommodating illegal residents pause threat to national security," said the official.

He requested the co-operation of the public to stop the 'illegal menace'. People can call up our emergency number 993 and report such violations, said Al Hashemi.

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