Abu Dhabi: The UAE authorities have made elaborate arrangements to receive amnesty seekers at nine centres across the country.
In Abu Dhabi, the amnesty centres will be at immigration offices in Shahama, Al Ain and Al Gharbia in Al Dhafra Region. In Dubai, the centre will be in Al Aweer while in other emirates they will be at the main immigration offices.
Reception centres have also been set up in Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain.
These centres will be open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays.
Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, director of Residency Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said the authority has provided all kinds of arrangements to facilitate the amnesty seekers in the country. The initiative aims to make the “emirates free from violators”, he said.
Extra arrangements are in place at the embassies and consulates of the major labour-sending countries to issue emergency certificate (EC/out-pass) to the amnesty seekers who want to leave the country but do not have a valid travel document. Those who have a valid passport can directly approach the amnesty centres but others have to first get the EC from their embassy or consulate.
The foreign diplomatic missions have engaged community organisations also to enhance awareness about the amnesty.
The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai had held separate detailed meetings with representatives of Indian community organisations and briefed them about the procedures, said Navdeep Singh Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE.
Mohammad Imran, Bangladeshi Ambassador to the UAE, said: “We are conducting massive awareness campaigns in cooperation with community associations, Biman airlines [Bangladesh’s national airline] and money exchange houses. Special teams from the embassy already visited the remote towns such as Liwa and Al Sila in Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi during the last weekend to reach out to the community members living there,” he said.
