Residents who have overstayed their visa or worked without wait to seen at the visa amnesty centre in Al Raha Mall. Victor Besa / The National
Residents who have overstayed their visa or worked without wait to seen at the visa amnesty centre in Al Raha Mall. Victor Besa / The National
Residents who have overstayed their visa or worked without wait to seen at the visa amnesty centre in Al Raha Mall. Victor Besa / The National
Residents who have overstayed their visa or worked without wait to seen at the visa amnesty centre in Al Raha Mall. Victor Besa / The National

After the amnesty: UAE immigration officers to begin visa inspection campaign


Haneen Dajani
  • English
  • Arabic

Immigration officers will begin a campaign to identify residents who are in the UAE without a valid visa when the four-month amnesty ends on December 1.

But the authorities insisted "no one will be stopped in the street" and that all checks will be targeted.

The amnesty led to at least 30,000 without a valid visa coming forward in the first three months to tell the authorities they were in the country without valid documents.

Many asked for new visas while others - often with huge overstay fines that were subsequently waived - returned to their home country.

When the amnesty ends on Saturday, immigration officers will begin to tackle those that remain in the country illegally.

Filipino nationals prepare to fly out of Dubai to Manila in August as part of the UAE's amnesty programme. Reem Mohammed / The National
Filipino nationals prepare to fly out of Dubai to Manila in August as part of the UAE's amnesty programme. Reem Mohammed / The National

Brig Gen Saeed Rakan, acting director general for the immigration authority, said there will be inspection campaigns to catch people without valid visas.

"The campaigns will follow planned procedures and will not be random inspections stopping people on the streets," he told The National.

“We will start applying the law against offenders but we will not stand out in public and ask people for their ID cards.

"We will follow legal procedures based on investigative reports.”

A search would be carried out for example if police learn of residential areas with a large illegal population or shared villas that is home to those without visas.

“When the traffic police ask for a driver's licence, it is based on an offence they committed or an incident that made them stop the person,” Brig Gen Rakan said.

"We don’t just stop all cars and ask for someone's licence."

At the end of the previous amnesty in 2013, a total of 385 people were arrested for failing to have a valid visa, including dozens in the Mussaffah and Tourist Club areas of Abu Dhabi.

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Read more:

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385 arrested across country for violating UAE residency law

The UAE visa amnesty – all you need to know

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5