Nearly 20,000 people seek visa amnesty in Dubai during first week

In Abu Dhabi, 88 per cent of those filing for amnesty want to stay in the country

Officials help people who have overstayed their visa get their paperwork in order at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai in Al Awir. Pawan Singh / The National

Nearly 20,000 people who have overstayed their visa in Dubai applied to legalise their status in the first seven days since the UAE announced a two-month visa amnesty on September 1, authorities said.

Releasing the numbers, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai on Monday said 19,784 people had filed their papers, with 90 per cent of the applications completed digitally.

The 'Towards a Safer Community' campaign will run until the end of October, allowing people with expired residency or tourist visas to change their status or leave the country without being fined, nor will they face a ban on re-entering the UAE.

As many as 17,391 visa overstayers completed their paperwork at one of 86 Amer centres in Dubai or used the digital platform, while 2,393 people processed their applications at Al Awir Centre. The authority added that 98.96 per cent of the cases were handled within the first 48 hours.

Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi, Maj Gen Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director General of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP), said 88 per cent of those who applied for visa amnesty wanted to legalise their status, with only 12 per cent choosing to leave.

The response reflects a respect for the law of the country and visitors' keenness to lead a decent life, said Maj Gen Al Khaili. The ICP call centres received 2,500 inquiries during the first week of the campaign, an indication of the attractiveness of the UAE as a destination to live and work, he added.

Speaking to the media on Monday, the official urged private companies to support amnesty seekers by offering jobs to those seeking to legalise their status.

Maj Gen Sultan Yousef Al Nuaimi, Director General of Residency and Foreign Affairs at ICP, said the authority has approved 10 centres across the country to register fingerprints for people over the age of 15 who have not yet had their biometric registered.

"The purpose is to facilitate violators’ access to fingerprinting services anywhere in the country, depending on the authority that had issued their previous visa or residence permit," he said.

In Abu Dhabi, people can apply for amnesty in Al Dhafra, Sweihan, Al Maqam, Al Shahamah and private typing centres that are recognised by the ICP.

Typing centres record surge in inquiries

Typing centres across Abu Dhabi have reported a surge in applications and inquiries since the amnesty programme began.

Mohammed Shareef, Operations Manager at Tawakkal Typing, which runs 10 branches across the UAE capital, said paperwork was processed for more than 100 people within the first three days of the amnesty.

“Most people are looking to change their visa status and remain in the country. Only a few are planning to leave,” he told The National.

One such woman seeking to return home is Nigerian citizen Juliet. “I'm seven months pregnant and my boyfriend has been in prison for the last two months. I want to return home for my delivery,” she said. Her one-year-old daughter, Joy, does not have a passport or birth certificate.

“This amnesty is a golden opportunity for me to leave the country without incurring fines,” she said. “I can’t imagine what I would have done otherwise.”