More than 22,000 illegal immigrants held in UAE

UAE authorities arrested more than 22,000 expatriates found to be staying illegally in the country in the first five months of 2013, an official was quoted on Sunday as saying.

Many of these migrants, mostly south Asians, were caught illegally working for private sector companies and 179 of those firms were fined Dh50,000 each for such offences, said Major General Hareb Al Khaili, acting assistant undersecretary for naturalization and immigration affairs at the Ministry of Interior.

“Our inspectors are pursuing a campaign to curb illegal staying. During the first five months of this year, they seized 22,481 expatriate persons violating the residence law,” he told the Sharjah-based Arabic language daily Al Khaleej.

“We again appeal for all companies and residents in the UAE not to hire illegal residents and infiltrators given they pose a social and health threat to the community.”

Khaili said the Ministry of Interior had set up a round-the-clock free hotline phone number (80080) for those who want to inform authorities about illegal migrants. 

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