Muscat: Authorities in Oman relentlessly continue their crackdown against infiltrators as well as residency law violators and subsequent pressure seems to have prompted some to take illegal route to the UAE so that they can avail 60-day amnesty that started on December 4.

According to Royal Oman Police (ROP), last week they arrested 787 Asians for either entering the country illegally or violating residency laws. Moreover, 46 were deported. Interestingly, majority of the illegal residents (551) were caught from northern Omani towns of Sohar and Saham, which are closer to the UAE border.

“This (crossing over to UAE from Oman) has been going on for a long time,” Arshad Ali Khan, a Pakistani philanthropist and a long time Oman-based businessman, told Gulf News.

“The amnesty in UAE may not be a great incentive for increased attempts to cross over illegally from here to the neighbouring country by Pakistanis,” the former Pakistan Social Club chief, who does a lot of social work and helps people in need, especially from Pakistan, said

His reasoning is that it is not as easy for Pakistanis to seek amnesty like the other nationals. “Even after crossing over they would not get amnesty easily,” he said, adding that most of these illegal residents have no papers and no computer records.

Khan also talked about the risk factors. “Most get caught while trying to cross illegally so it is not worth for these illegals to spend their hard earned money to go across illegally.”

He added that there were some human traffickers, who continue to smuggle humans. “These illegal residents create law and order problem for Omani authorities and spoil our country’s name,” he lamented.

For over seven years, Oman is grappling with the problem of vulnerable poor Pakistanis exploited by human traffickers and smuggled by boat into the country.

He urged his compatriots, and also other nationals, not to fall prey to human traffickers’ promises. “It is inhuman,” he said, adding that human trafficking was illegal for both the countries.

Khan feels that a sincere effort on part of governments was the only way to deter human traffickers and it has to be done at both the ends. “Oman is doing its best to curb this menace,” he said and praised the Sultanate for bearing the cost of deporting illegals when they are sent in large numbers by boat back to Pakistan.

Leading Indian social worker, P.M. Jabir, also said that he had heard about Indians attempting – some successfully – to across to UAE from Oman to escape the intense crackdown on illegal residents and seek amnesty to go back home.

“It could be true but so far I don’t have any concrete evidence to back that claim nor has anyone come to me with complaints about these illegal operations,” said Jabir, who has a wide network of social workers across Oman through their Kairali Group.

Despite the government tightening the noose around illegal workers, the year 2012 has seen an increasing number of expatriate workers absconding. According to Manpower Ministry statistics, as many as 8,382 expatriate workers absconded from their employers in violation of the Labour Law in the first six months of 2012, an increase of 15.5 per cent over the same period in 2011.

Although the latest statistics are still not available but going from the half-year figures, the number of violators arrested this year could be up by sixty per cent at the end of this year as the local authorities have combined for the crackdown against the illegal workforce, which was believed to be over 80,000 when Oman offered partial amnesty in 2010.

Not many availed the offer at that time and probably triggering an intense campaign against illegals by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) with the help of Special Task Force Command and the Directorate General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations (DGCID) and the Manpower Ministry officials.

The crack teams, as a routine, round off farms and dwellings of low-wage workers before dawn and nab violators in their sleep.

Most diplomats refrained from commenting on the issue due to its sensitivity but some conceded that fear among illegal resident was at its peak following enmasse arrest on regular basis for over a year.