Indian Consulate in Dubai facilitated 15,000 UAE amnesty seekers

Dubai: The Indian Consulate in Dubai on Wednesday said that it has facilitated more than 15,000 Indians who sought the services of the four-month UAE visa amnesty for residency violators, which ended on Tuesday.

Of these, 2,117 chose to stay back while 3,700 secured exit paper to leave the country.

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As many as 236,000 residency violators in Dubai benefitted from the four-month UAE visa amnesty which allowed violators of the UAE residency laws to either leave the country or stay back after legalising their status without any ban or penalties, according to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA).

While announcing the successful conclusion of its Amnesty Facilitation operations, which began on September 1, 2024, the Indian mission said: “Over the course of this operation, in partnership with various Indian diaspora organisations, we have successfully supported more than 15,000 service seekers.”

The consulate said its Facilitation Centres, which offered free services at the Consulate and Al Awir Amnesty Centre, have played a vital role in assisting Indian citizens in accessing the benefits of the UAE visa amnesty initiative.

Touching lives

Those who returned home after illegally living in the UAE for several years included Gudala Baby. As exclusively reported by Gulf News in November 2024, the 66-year-old, who worked as a part-time maid unofficially, flew home for the first time after 28 years following the waiver of overstay fines amounting to a whopping Dh878,000.

“Over the course of this operation, in partnership with various Indian diaspora organisations, we have successfully supported more than 15,000 service seekers including issuance of 2,117 passports, 3,589 emergency certificates, and assistance in securing more than 3,700 exit permits. Many individuals benefited from our guidance in obtaining fee and penalty waivers from UAE authorities,” the mission said.

Short validity passports are issued to those without valid passports wishing to regularise their stay to continue to live in the UAE. Also called an outpass, the emergency certificate (EC) is a one-time travel document issued to those who do not hold a valid passport to travel.

The Consulate had earlier said that it was also issuing exit permits from the immigration authorities with the support of volunteers from the Aim India Forum (AIF), a community group supporting Indians in distress. Those leaving the UAE required this permit from the GDRFA.

Apart from issuing the exit permits, various counters at the consulate provide comprehensive services including those related to lost passport report, labour cancellation, technical ticket for Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), immigration cancellation, merging multiple UIDs, etc.

Gratitude to UAE

On Wednesday, the consulate extended its heartfelt gratitude to the UAE Government for its unwavering support. “We are also grateful to the dedicated volunteers from diaspora organisations who played an instrumental role in making this initiative a success.”

The mission has urged Indian citizens to continue to adhere to the established procedures outlined by local authorities regarding entry, work, and residency in the UAE. “The Consulate remains committed to supporting the Indian community and ensuring that every citizen has access to the services they need,” it added.