A reader from Dubai asks: My wife divorced me one month ago, and proved in court that I beat her, abused her, drank alcohol and insulted her and hence requested a Divorce by Damage.
The Sharia Court passed a judgment granting such a divorce and custody of my three-year-old daughter went to my wife. I cancelled my wife's Dubai residence visa after our divorce. I gave her her original passport and documents for visa cancellation. Her one-month grace period has now expired but when I checked with the Dubai immigration department I found out that she is still in Dubai.
She has not changed her sponsorship or left the country. Furthermore, she has my daughter but my daughter's passport is with me and I did not cancel my daughter's visa. What can I do? Will I be fined, as I have no information as to where she lives, whether with her parents in Dubai or separately, I only have her contact number.
We would like to confirm that in this case if the questioner's ex-wife does not cancel or transfer her resident's visa to a new sponsor, the questioner himself will bear the responsibility in this respect before the authorities of the Naturalisation and Residence Department as it is his responsibility to proceed with all steps needed to cancel the visa. Therefore, the questioner should immediately inform the Naturalisation and Residence Department and file an absconding complaint against his ex-wife.
- Questions answered by Advocate Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba of Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants.
