UAE arrests 6,000 visa violators after amnesty scheme ends
Over 6,000 visa violators were arrested in inspection campaigns conducted last month following the end of the amnesty scheme on December 31, 2024. The UAE authorities carried out more than 270 inspection campaigns, a top official said on Monday.
Deportation is in process for 93% of the violators caught during the inspection campaigns, titled ‘Towards a Safer Society,’ which took place throughout January.
Furthermore, these inspection campaigns will continue, so the UAE authorities have advised the public not to take such violations or violators lightly, said Major-General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP).
When questioned about the possibility of introducing new measures to tackle violators or streamline the visa renewal process, the official emphasized that existing procedures are already effective, making visa renewals both simple and practical.
Moreover, during the four-month grace period from September 1 to December 31 last year, violators were offered the chance to leave the country without facing a re-entry ban or secure a new work contract to stay in the UAE legally.
Importantly, this initiative helped a significant number of individuals regularize their status after the grace period ended. The authority has since intensified inspection campaigns across the country to identify remaining violators and take the necessary legal actions against them.
Brigadier General Saeed Salem Al Shamsi, Acting Director General of Identity and Foreigners Affairs at ICP, stated that the inspection campaigns are conducted in collaboration with relevant government entities.
Al Shamsi added that legal measures and fines are imposed on violators, as well as on those who shelter or employ them. There will be zero tolerance for violators and those who facilitate their illegal stay.
The ‘Entry and Residence of Foreigners Law’ penalizes anyone who aids, facilitates, or is involved in a residency violation with imprisonment and a fine of no less than Dh10,000.
Brigadier Al Shamsi explained that if an individual employs a violator without being their official sponsor, a fine of Dh50,000 is imposed. If a violator is found working for someone other than their designated sponsor, they will be detained and face legal actions, including imprisonment, deportation, and a permanent ban from re-entering the UAE.
Source: Khaleej Times
