FUJAIRAH // Fujairah recorded 2,424 breaches of residence and immigration offences this year, an increase of 6 per cent from last year.
The emirate yesterday concluded a three-month public awareness campaign about the risks of illegal residency.
The campaign was part of the Ministry of Interior’s efforts to encourage Emiratis and residents to fight illegal immigration and educate the public about the legal consequences.
“Creating such campaigns will definitely help in curtailing the prevalence of intruders in the country, as we saw an increase in numbers this year compared to last year,” said First Lt Mohammad Al Hindasi, who leads the department that polices residency offences.
“We approached residents, schools, business owners and government workers through arranging workshops and meetings around the emirate, along with distributing brochures with information about the law of entry and residence of foreigners.”
First Lt Al Hindasi said that engaging the community would help the authorities to track illegal residents.
“People should be fully aware of the consequences of hiding or employing an illegal immigrant, and we stressed on this subject during the workshops,” he said.
Under the law, anyone who hires or shelters an illegal immigrant faces two months in prison or a Dh100,000 fine. Those who employ a foreigner without sponsorship faces a Dh50,000 fine.
“I recall an incident this year with one of the local companies, which was fined Dh3 million for breaching the law by recruiting illegal immigrants,” said First Lt Al Hindasi.
Authorities in Fujairah urge the public to help them track down offenders by calling the Sahim service on the 80080 toll-free number.
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