Al Shahama amnesty centre eases rush with new procedures

Abu Dhabi: The amnesty centre in Al Shahama was less crowded when it reopened on Sunday after the Eid holidays.

The reason: new procedures are in place that enable many amnesty seekers to start processing their applications at their embassies or Tasheel centres, said an official at the centre.

The centre has issued a guideline on the new procedures to the foreign embassies concerned in the capital, said the official who did not want to be named.

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Three categories of people have to visit the amnesty centre as per the new procedures put in place just before the Eid holidays, the official said.

The amnesty centre is handling cases of people who have absconding cases against their name but wish to have those lifted, those who have lost their passports but want to stay back in the UAE by availing themselves of the 6-month visa, and people who want to leave the UAE but do not have any valid ID document.

Those who do not have valid passport or Emirates ID may produce any other official ID issued by the UAE authorities, such as driving licence, medical insurance card, health card etc. which will enable the immigration officials to trace their biometric data on the UAE Government database.

The amnesty centre can issue an exit permit only after validating such information on the official database.

Amnesty seekers who fall under the infiltrator bracket have to visit the Suwaihan jail near Zayed Military City in Abu Dhabi to process their applications. Such people who may have entered the UAE illegally without any travel documents have to leave the country and will be slapped with an entry ban for two years.

A senior official at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said the embassy officials will facilitate exit procedures for such persons if they contact the embassy’s helpline numbers or any Indian community organisations.

Most of the other categories of amnesty seekers have to visit their embassies or Tasheel centres.

People who entered the UAE on a visa but later became undocumented (as a result of not renewing their visa or not exiting the UAE after its expiry), but possess other ID documents issued by the UAE authorities and want to leave the country may visit their embassies to process amnesty requests.

The embassies will collect their details and pass them on to the amnesty centre, which will verify the information based on the submitted UAE ID document and send a text message to the applicant’s mobile number.

The applicants may then proceed to Tasheel centres to get exit permits to leave the UAE.

The Indian embassy official said this category of amnesty seekers need not visit the embassy in person but can submit their details through email or community organisations.

Amnesty seekers having a valid passport who want to move to a new job visa or 6-month visa to look for jobs can process their applications at Tasheel centres. Such amnesty seekers should contact Amer centres if they live in Dubai.

Those who lost passports can also try to regularise their status.

They have to first approach the amnesty centre to get a report on the lost passport and then approach their respective embassies and apply for a new passport as per the rules and regulations of the embassies.

The amnesty centre added a third tent on Sunday, which can receive 500 people. The representatives of foreign embassies have a space in the tent and amnesty seekers are served free refreshments and drinks there.