A total of 91 illegal Asian residents were arrested in Dubai in less than an hour as part of a campaign by the General Directorate For Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) 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 intended to curb illegal residents, according to senior official from Ministry of Interior.

“Any breach of the law threatens the stability of the society, because the illegal can commit crimes and affect the safety of the country,” said Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of General Directorate of GDRFA.

Major General Al Merri said the investigation section arrested 91 Asian expatriates on charges of staying illegally.

They were arrested in a period of one hour in Al Satwa area on Sunday.

Major General Al Merri encouraged illegal residents to approach the department in order to amend their legal status or leave the country and 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.

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 to curbthe 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. 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 around the clock.

Lt Colonel Al Ghaith said that 91 illegal men held in Al Satwa area on Sundaywere arrested in the afternoon in one place,” he said.

“We received a tip from one of the members of the public and after checking the credibility of the tip we arrested the illegal men and they were taken to Al Aweer deportation centre and the case will be transferred to public prosecutor for more investigation.

“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.

“We have a series of intensive random inspection campaigns in the different areas of Dubai,’’ he said.