Shelterers of illegals get stern warning

Abu Dhabi: More than 340,000 illegal residents benefited from the amnesty, including 175,000 who left the country, according to a senior official.

"The amnesty offer by the government achieved its goals as 341,958 illegal workers left the country or legalised their stay," said Colonel Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Director of the Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department.

Col Al Minhali told a news conference on Sunday that around 95,000 illegal residents have got their status legalised. Some 246,699 illegals of various nationalities have been issued outpasses by residency departments across the country. These include 72,333 who have not yet left the country, according to Col Al Minhali.

According to Labour Ministry statistics on absconding workers, around 350,000 were believed to have been illegally residing and working in the country.

Col Al Minhali did not give a breakdown for the types of workers or their nationalities but said the majority of the illegal residents who applied for the amnesty are labourers from the subcontinent.

Outpass validity

On the validity of outpasses and the grace period given to illegal residents to leave the country, Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Sultan Al Khadar, Legal Counsellor at the Interior Ministry, said the validity of outpasses varies from case to case and the residency departments across the country are facilitating the departure of amnesty applicants.

Following the amnesty which ended on November 2, inspection campaigns were launched and fixed and mobile checkpoints were being set up across the country to arrest illegals, according to Col Al Minhali.

He noted that those who were issued outpasses but fail to make use of the amnesty will face tougher penalties including jail of up to three years, fines and deportation.

Col Al Minhali said employers of illegal workers and infiltrators and those who give them shelter will face a jail term and a fine of up Dh100,000 per person. The fine will be multiplied by the number of illegals, but will not exceed Dh5 million.

"The penalty for those who employ or provide shelter to illegal workers will be Dh50,000 per person. A jail term and penalty will be imposed if the crime is repeated. The jail and fine is a must for employing or providing shelter to infiltrators," Col Al Minhali said.

The new rules will be introduced soon after President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan ratifies them into a law.

National security: UAE bent on weeding out illegals - minister

The UAE is determined to weed out illegal residents who endanger national security, threaten the stability of the economy and labour market and ruin the country's reputation, a minister said yesterday.

Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, said the Cabinet decision to weed out illegal residents from the country stems from the UAE's strategic policy to achieve sustainable development and provide Emiratis and residents with the best possible standard of living in a secure and safe society.

"The Ministry of Interior will take all measures necessary to achieve these goals, including hefty fines and penalties for illegals and those who employ or provide them with shelter," Shaikh Saif said in a statement yesterday.

Shaikh Saif urged all members of the public to rise up to their social responsibility and cooperate with authorities to make the problem of illegals a thing of the past and achieve further progress and prosperity for the country.