Dubai building new centre for illegals

Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs (GDRFA) is building a new 16,731 square metre detention centre to accommodate people caught staying illegally in the UAE.

 Major General Obaid Mohair bin Surour of GDRFA said the new building in Al Aweer will be built to international standards. Illegal people will be put up here temporarily until their residential status is regularized or they leave the UAE.

Maj. Gen. Surour on Monday toured the project site to follow up on the progress of construction of the detention centre. He was accompanied by Col. Ahmad Khalaf Al Ghaith.

The new building, which is expected to be completed by 2017, will be the first of its kind in the Middle East and the world, with a playground, nursery and supermarket. Each room will accommodate four to eight illegal residents. There will be a separate section for women. Phones and computers with Internet connection will be provided so that the illegal residents can communicate with their families and friends both within and outside the UAE. There will be rooms for them to meet their families and lockers for keeping their belongings.

Maj. Gen. Surour said basic health care services will be provided through a general clinic and a dentist.

He said illegal residents are not criminals and their circumstances should be taken into consideration. GDRFA has special staff to help the illegals to solve their residential status problems.

The building is being built in cooperation with Dubai Municipality.

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