9.36 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Way back for violators who leave under UAE amnesty: Interior Ministry

Colonel Khalaf Al Ghaith, Assistant Director General, Ministry of Interior. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Maryam Alyammahi

Colonel Khalaf Al Ghaith, Assistant Director General, Ministry of Interior, stated that illegals accepted by the UAE Amnesty Scheme will be allowed to leave without paying any fines and will also get a chance to come back into the country in the future, if they so desired.

"We have already received large numbers of violators who want to benefit from this period, which ends on February 4," Al Ghaith told Emirates 24|7.

Anyone wanting to apply for amnesty must bring his\her original passport and two personal photos.

In case one does not have the original passport, the violator should bring a travel document from his\her country’s embassy.

“After that the violator will be placed in a place provided with all necessary facilities and will be given up to 14 days to arrange his\her travel and can leave from any exit point in the country,” Al Ghaith said.

Al Ghaith pointed out that this initiative is a humane campaign and those accepted under the scheme were provided with proper board and lodging till they leave.

He said processing a single illegal’s documents should not take more than 45 minutes.

He added that while 90 per cent of violators can buy air tickets, if they can prove that they are unable to raise the funds or get an air ticket sponsored, then the interior ministry will consider paying the necessary amount.

Al Ghaith declined to give the total numbers of violators that have come forward so far, or their break-up by nationality.

He did generalise to say most are of Asian or African origin.

“Arab nationality violators usually come during the last days of the initiative,” he added.

Al Ghaith added that not just individuals but entire families also come forward to claim amnesty.

“All violators are urged to take advantage of this initiative as there is no intention to extend the deadline. After the end of this initiative the interior ministry will launch an intensive campaign to catch violators and prosecute them,” Al Ghaith warned.

Many centres to facilitate processing

Earlier this monh, Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Ports Affairs at the Ministry of Interior stressed that the ministry would facilitate illegal residents to benefit from the amnesty, noting that the centres to receive the violators have been set up nationwide.

These remarks were made during the visit paid by Al Menhali to passports office in Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Qaiwain.

"There are clear instructions on dealing with offenders who hand themselves over voluntarily to authorities to benefit from the amnesty, as their departure procedures will be smooth," Al Menhali was quoted as saying by Wam.

Al Menhali reiterated his call to the violators to benefit from the two-month long amnesty, which will be in force from December 4, 2012 to February 4, 2013.

He said the move is a humanitarian gesture from the higher leadership in the light of suffering of some categories who could not abide by the entry and residency law due to their conditions worsened by the accumulated fines on the families.
 

 

MUST READ:

New Year's ease for Dubai traffic: All Al Khail Road intersections to open on January 4




Revealed: List of UAE public holidays in 2013


 

Top hotels selling out over New Year period as tourists flock to Dubai