Illegal gets ticket home, but takes a detour

Dubai: An Indian in his late thirties is going home, but his family in the eastern Indian state of Kolkata will not know of his homecoming.

"I will go to Mumbai and try to earn a living. I will send money home from there. I want my wife and two kids to think that I am employed in the UAE," said Samat who came to the country a week ago.

He is one of the many who still land in the UAE on a visit visa and then look for jobs in the booming construction sector.

With no contacts in the UAE and no proper employment, Samat walked out of Dubai International Airport and landed at Deira Bus stand where he lost his baggage, including his passport.

Exhausted

Exhausted and tired, Samat took shelter at a park near Maktoum Bridge and since then have not ventured out.

With fever and unable to speak, he was found lying on the park bench by some municipality workers. The workers took care of Samat and gave him food and water.

A good Samaritan who happened to meet Samat made arrangements for his travel documents and passage home.

"I will be indebted to the good Samaritan who is helping me to go home. It is better than getting stranded here with no food, money, employment and shelter," said Samat.

"I will be very embarrassed to go home and face my two children who are under the impression that I am in Dubai. All that I remember while lying on the bench in the scorching heat is their smiling faces and eyes full of expectation. I have disappointed them," he said.

Samat said he would have to work in Mumbai until he repays his debt (Indian rupees 80,000, borrowed to pay visa agent).

A civic worker who requested anonymity said Samat was very weak when they found him sleeping on the park bench.

The worker said: "I and a couple of other workers found him with fever. We got him some food and just hoped that he got better. I am just glad that someone is making sure that he goes back home."

Have your say
Do you know someone who has the same predicament? What have they done about it?

It is a big risk for people to come here on a visit visa while hoping to land a job. But you can't blame people with great ambition. Anyway, thanks to the good Samaritan who helped the poor guy.
Rogen
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: September 01, 2007, 11:16

Amnesty cases come and go. Many return home in a desperate state. How come people are coming here on a visit visa and get stranded? People who issue such visit visas need to be sufficiently punished.
Kumar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: September 01, 2007, 11:09

The story of Samat is nothing new. Visit visas should only be issued to financially well off people to discourage desperate job hunters.
Anil
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: September 01, 2007, 09:16

My sympathy to illegal residents trapped in the country because of job scams and greedy sponsors. But they should have thought that coming to the UAE on a visit visa in the hope of landing a job is foolish. Sympathies don't work here.
Mira
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 01, 2007, 03:55