Dubai: Police at the emergency section at Rashid Hospital said they refused to issue a death report for a man who died Thursday morning in Dubai because he was an illegal resident with a court case against him.
Police said Abdul Rahman Al Dakheel, a Tunisian engineer, had been living in the UAE for more than 25 years and has had his passport held at Dubai Court since 1996 after being involved in financial case.
Police said Al Dakheel had been living illegally in the UAE for 15 years because the residency department refused to renew his residency visa because of the court case.
This forced him to be an illegal resident here.
Police said Al Dakheel entered the country for the first time 25 years ago in Abu Dhabi.
Police said Al Dakheel, who is in his mid 50s, suffered from heart attack and died on Thursday morning at Rashid hospital.
The police added Al Dakheel was admitted to hospital by his son on Thursday morning but he died shortly after he arrived.
Friends of Al Dakheel tried to have the death report issued by the hospital to complete formalities to have his body returned to Tunisia, but they failed.
The Police at the emergency section at Rashid hospital said the deceased must have a valid residency visa and valid passport in order for a death report to be issued.
The police said no death certificate would be issued if the deceased was an illegal resident.
"Al Dakheel have court case against him and will not be issued death report," the police at the hospital said.
The police said that the son of the deceased had also been an illegal resident for almost one year.
The police at the hospital said that according to police law and rules the deceased must have valid passport and valid residency in the UAE.
"The person who will accompany the deceased back home must also be legal residents or visitor here," the policeman said.
He added that the death report could be released if someone resolved the deceased person's financial matters.
Friends of the deceased said that they had been waiting since 6am for the death report.
"We have to take the death report to translate it in to Arabic with the original death certificate," a friend of the deceased said.
The friend said that they already obtained letter from the Tunisian consulate that the passport had been lost.
"We have letter addressed to Dubai airport from the consulate and to the criminal and investigation department and Municipality and to Al Maktoum Hospital for mummification," the friend said.
The friend said: "We have to finish this process in order to send the body to be buried in his homeland".
Lt. Colonel Khalaf Al Gaith, Assistant for Illegal and follow-up and investigation Department at the General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs told Gulf News that to transfer a deceased person there were specific requirements.
"We need the original passport of the dead person and if it is not available we require letter issued from the consulate of the dead person giving details about the deceased," he said.
He said the residency department would cancel and clear everything related to the deceased such as fines or other issues related to residency.
"We also cancel anyone sponsored by the deceased such as family members or workers and those will be given one month to leave the country," he said.
