Abu Dhabi: The Afghanistan diplomatic mission will soon start an ambitious project to register 120,000 Afghan expatriates living in the UAE and issue new identity cards to them, a top diplomat told Gulf News.
The embassy has outsourced the registration to a private company, BLS International, which will open six centres in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, Abdul Farid Zikria, Afghanistan Ambassador to the UAE, said in an interview in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
The registration centre at the Afghanistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi will open soon. Another centre at the Consulate General in Dubai and remaining four centres in Bur Dubai, Sharjah, Musaffah [in Abu Dhabi] and Al Ain will start functioning by mid-November, he said.
The new ID card will be mandatory for Afghan expats to access consular services at the embassy and the consulate. He said the embassy has signed a six-month contract with the outsourcing agency to complete the registration process.
“I urge all Afghan expatriates to come forward and register at the earliest. It is important for them as they have to produce the ID card to access consular services,” Zikria said. He said the procedure is very simple and the ID cards will be issued immediately after the registration.
This is part of an Afghanistan Government initiative to create a database of its nationals in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) nations, he said. The first phase will cover around 155,000 expatiates living in the GCC except in Saudi Arabia. Around 200,000 Afghans in Saudi will be registered in the next phase, the envoy said.
The Afghan missions are still converting handwritten passports of Afghans to machine-readable passports (MRPs). Around 50 per cent of expatriates have already got MRPs and they have to also register and get new ID card. The missions issue renewed passports within one to five days, Zikria said.
He said 60 per cent of the Afghan expatriates in the UAE are from Khost province and majority of them [60 per cent to 70 per cent] are living in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Elders of tribes assist embassy to reach out to community
The elders of various tribes among Afghan expatriate community in the UAE assist their diplomatic missions to reach out to the community, a top Afghan diplomat told Gulf News.
“Ours is a tribal society and the elders of various tribes play a very helpful role to take our messages to the community,” said Abdul Farid Zikria, the Afghan Ambassador to the UAE, in an interview.
Realising their potential, Zikria formed a Council of Elders that constitutes around 40 representatives of various tribes in the community. “We meet with them once in every three months and discuss their issues.”
The mandatory registration of expatriates and issuance of new identity cards were discussed in the council and they have committed their full support, he said.
Around 60 per cent of the Afghan expatriates in the UAE are from Khost province and majority of them [60 per cent to 70 per cent] are living in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the envoy said.
The embassy will establish a Council of Afghan Business Persons in Abu Dhabi within two weeks. About 1,500 Afghan businessmen in Dubai constitute the largest Afghan business community anywhere in the world, the ambassador said.
A council of professionals and youth are the next initiatives. All these four councils can help the embassy to enhance its communication with the community, Zikria said.
How to register for new Afghan ID cards
Afghan residents have to visit any of the six centres — the embassy in Abu Dhabi (to open soon) and the consulate in Dubai (on week days, from 8.30am to 4pm); and BLS centres in Musaffah in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bur Dubai and Sharjah (to open by mid-November). Open on week days, 9.30am to 6.30pm, and on Fridays, from 2pm to 8pm)
Submit original passport and visa and pay Dh43 fee.
Those who already have machine-readable passports have to also register for new ID cards
For enquiries, call 055 1732346 or visit www.afgexpatreggcc.com
In numbers
120,000 Afghan expatriates in the UAE
6 months to complete registration
6 centres across three emirates for registration
155,000 Afghans in GCC except in Saudi Arabia
200,000 Afghans in Saudi Arabia
