Dubai: Around 4,250 illegal residents were arrested in the first quarter of this year with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) reporting a decrease in the number of illegals being employed in Dubai.

“Previously, around 40 illegals, working for a single institution, would be arrested at a time,” Maj Gen Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of the GDRFA, said. “It seems that the number has gone down as a result of awareness campaigns, which emphasise the dangers of employing illegal workers and those unregistered with the Ministry of Labour.”

The GDRFA reported that over 13,940 illegals were arrested in 2013 and 14,400 in 2014.

According to Maj Gen Al Merri, most of the illegals are between the ages of 30 and 39, unmarried and men. Most of the women illegals work as domestic helpers. The GDRFA noted that those hiring illegal workers were penalised as well.

In 2014, 281 institutions were fined for employing illegals, which includes 57 working without a sponsorship, 56 working under a visit visa and 54 who were working without sponsorship alongside failure to provide proper identification documents, and absconding from another job.

“The GDRFA conducts regular awareness campaigns and inspections on the 165,000 institution in the city to ensure they are not employing illegals,” Maj Gen Al Merri said, “Employing illegal workers has a number of adverse impacts on the local economy and we are trying to thwart these effects.”

Maj Gen Al Merri said the GDRFA is a direct branch of the Ministry of Interior and that there is a constant correspondence between the department and relevant authorities such as Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality and the Ministry of Labour.

Colonel Khalifa Ahmad Al Gaith, Assistant to the Director-General for follow up of law violators, said the department inspects a number of areas around Dubai but is not responsible for inspections conducted in free zones. “There are around 165,000 institutions in Dubai,” he said. “We ensure that the workers we arrest don’t have sponsors before we take them into custody. We double check all the paperwork given to us with the GDRFA.”

Col Al Gaith said the inspections were conducted without prior notice. “We carry out the surprise inspection from 7.30am to 10pm. There are about 18 officers in every inspection patrol. In 2014, we carried out about 200 inspections in Deira and Bur Dubai alone.”

Col Al Ghaith noted that a minimum of 36 awareness campaigns are run every month.

“We carry out three with the Dubai Municipality, which run throughout the year,” he said, “as well as other campaigns run in tandem with Dubai Police, Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Economy.”

According to Col Al Gaith, the campaigns outline the dangers of employing workers who are not officially registered. “Preventing the problem is more effective than trying to thwart its impacts.”

Col Al Gaith gave a few case studies of illegal workers arrested in the city. “In April, 27 women were arrested for working illegally at a massage parlour in Dubai. We also carried out a surprise inspection in tandem with the Dubai Municipality at the vegetable market in Al Aweer, where we arrested nine illegals. In December last year, we arrested eight illegals who were employed at a garage. More than 30 men and 50 women were also arrested after recent surprise inspections in Al Hamriya and Al Rifaa.”

Col Al Gaith advised the public to contact Amer’s toll-free number 80051111 for more information on the matter or to lodge a complaint.