Dubai: Diplomatic missions in the UAE are intensifying their efforts to assist their nationals in regularising their UAE residency status or facilitating their return to their home countries, without fines or other penalties under UAE’s amnesty for illegal residents.
Several embassies and consulates have launched a series of initiatives, including providing discounted air tickets, securing job opportunities, and setting up dedicated help desks to guide amnesty seekers through the process.
Indian Consulate
The Indian Consulate in Dubai has opened a help desk at the Al Awir Centre, the main hub of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai for amnesty-related procedures. This desk is designed to assist Indian applicants with various services, especially to issue the Emergency Certificate (EC). Illegal Indian expats wishing to return home can apply for the EC, a one-time travel document, also called an outpass, free of cost at both the consulate and at the Al Awir Centre.
Speaking to Gulf News after the opening of the ‘India Help Desk’ at the men’s tent in Al Awir, Consul General of India in Dubai, Satish Kumar Sivan, said the mission is supporting amnesty seekers returning home to secure air tickets if they cannot afford them.
“We are requesting the airlines to have some schemes where they can give highly discounted tickets or free tickets for Indian nationals,” said Sivan.
He said the consulate would also make use of the Government of India’s scheme, Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), to support amnesty seekers, provided they satisfy the guidelines.
“When there is a need for tickets, we will handle it on a case-by-case basis,” he explained.
Those regularising their status to stay back in the UAE, he said, can apply for short-validity passports through the outsourced service provider BLS International for a fee.
Sivan explained that the duration of a short-validity passport will vary based on individual circumstances, such as whether the original passport was lost, the type of visa held, or how long the passport has been expired. Regardless of its duration, having a short-validity passport allows individuals to regularise their stay and obtain a residence permit. “Subsequently, they can extend their stay and get regular passports.”
In the last amnesty period in 2018, he said the Indian Consulate issued around 4,500 emergency certificates and 2,500 short-validity passports.
Pakistani Consulate
The Pakistani Consulate in Dubai is also coordinating with airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines and other regional carriers, to secure discounted fares for Pakistani nationals returning home, Consul General of Pakistan Hussain Muhammad told Gulf News.
Speaking after a visit at the Al Awir Centre, he said the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai is responding to a significant increase in the demand for national identity cards and passport renewals.
He said the Embassy and the Consulate have implemented extended office hours, keeping the National Identity Card (NIC), passport sections, and attestation services open on Saturdays until the end of October to assist applicants needing to renew, update, or validate their documents. Additionally, the Out-Pass Sections are now available to issue out-passes and emergency travel documents for Pakistani nationals without passports, facilitating their return to Pakistan.
“We usually have around 700 to 800 applicants for passport renewals and about 150 for national identity card renewals daily. However, over the last 20 to 30 days, we have seen a significant increase in these numbers,” he said.
Muhammad said the passport renewal applications have jumped to between 1,000 and 1,200 on some days, and the National Identity Card renewals have risen to nearly 200 to 300.
He said the mission was monitoring the situation closely. “If the number of amnesty seekers continues to rise, we also plan to establish a dedicated help desk at the Al Awir Centre to assist with outpasses and other documentation, reducing the need for applicants to visit the consulate directly,” he added.
Nepalese Embassy
The Nepalese Embassy in Abu Dhabi has also been active in supporting its nationals. In response to the amnesty, the embassy has initiated discussions with airlines like Air Arabia and Nepal Airlines to secure discounted airfares for those returning to Nepal, Din Bandhu Subedi, Counsellor (Labour) told Gulf News.
According to him, the airlines have committed to provide discounts on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that the most vulnerable individuals receive the necessary support.
“We will refer such individuals getting outpasses from us to the airlines for offering them a discount,” he explained.
Additionally, the embassy has established a help desk within its premises specifically for amnesty seekers, staffed by additional personnel to manage the increased workload.
Bangladeshi Consulate
The Bangladeshi Consulate in Dubai has taken a slightly different approach, focusing on securing job opportunities for amnesty seekers who wish to remain in the UAE. The consulate is actively engaging with companies to facilitate employment for Bangladeshi nationals who have overstayed but are seeking to regularise their status and continue working in the UAE, the Press Wing of the mission told Gulf News.
In addition to employment efforts, the consulate has increased its outreach through social media and direct communication, urging Bangladeshis to prepare the necessary documentation to take advantage of the amnesty. The consulate has also set up additional counters to handle passport renewals and other consular services, ensuring that their nationals can complete the necessary processes efficiently, said a spokesperson of the Press Wing.
Sri Lankan Embassy
The Sri Lankan Embassy has responded to the amnesty with the creation of a dedicated section within the embassy to manage amnesty-related cases, a spokesperson told Gulf News.
This section is focused on expediting the process for Sri Lankan nationals, ensuring that they can navigate the amnesty with ease. While the embassy has reported a relatively low number of applicants so far, they anticipate an increase in the coming weeks as more Sri Lankans come forward to regularise their status or prepare for their return home.
Philippine Consulate
Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate in Dubai also opened a help desk at the Al Awir Centre. On the inaugural day of the UAE Amnesty Programme on Sunday, Philippine Consul General Marford M. Angeles, led the Consulate’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Team to visit the centre and interact with the amnesty seekers from the Philippines and GDRFA officials.
He said the help desk provides assistance to Filipino applicants by addressing their inquiries concerning lost passports and procedures for obtaining travel documents, steps for securing exit passes for those intending to return to the Philippines, and guidance for individuals with job offers in the UAE.
The diplomats and missions have applauded GDRFA for providing a platform for spot interviews by around 15 companies at the Al Awir Centre and urged their nationals to make use of the opportunity to secure a job immediately after legalising their residency status.
