UPDATE: Dubai charity steps in to help fund flights home for families from Ghana found sleeping in park
A group of men and women who were homeless and out of work have been taken in by Dubai Police.
Several dozen people, all from Ghana, were found sleeping in a park in the city's Satwa district, officials said.
On Monday, between 40 and 50 were taken to a temporary accommodation site in Jebel Ali.
And by Wednesday afternoon the full group, including 77 men and three women, were transferred to a new site in Al Quoz.
Officers said they were in contact with Ghana's consulate, where dozens had gathered on Sunday and Monday to ask for help.
The homeless hope to return to Ghana when it begins repatriation flights.
Many from the group said they lost their jobs before the coronavirus outbreak and some since.
A few others came to the country to search for work on visit visas and were stranded when the borders closed on March 19.
We know many of them have lost their jobs or are on visit visas
"We wanted to help solve this problem because we know many of them have lost their jobs or are on visit visas," a Dubai Police spokesman said.
"After we were alerted of their situation, we transported about 40 or 50 of them to accommodation where they could sleep.
"We are in contact with the embassy and consulate to help these people."
The Jebel Ali site is a series of air-conditioned tents, where officers said the group could stay until their embassy was able to help them.
When pictures of the group sleeping in the park emerged on social media, residents from across the city delivered food and water to help.
Moses, a father of five, was one of the men given accommodation.
“Now we have food and drink and a safe place to rest,” Moses said.
“I was sleeping in the park for about a week and volunteers were bringing us food. It was very difficult in the heat.
“Some police officers came on Sunday night and told us they will get us accommodation and within a few minutes a bus arrived and took us to Jebel Ali.
“The police have consoled us, motivated us. We didn’t get this from our own government but the UAE people, they’ve helped us.”
Moses said he arrived in Dubai on December 12 on a visit visa to look for work. After months of job hunting, he ran out of money.
He wants to stay in the UAE to find a job but will probably have to return home.
Michael Agyapong, 23, was one of the group who did not opt for temporary accommodation.
Mr Agyapong said he would stay in the park and visit the nearby consulate each day in the hope of getting home.
“I don’t want to be a burden on the UAE and keep taking food and drink from people," he said.
"It brings shame on me, I just want to go home to my daughter, mum and dad."
Mr Agyapong said he arrived in Dubai on March 3 after paying more than Dh5,000 for a flight and visit visa.
A friend working in Dubai had assured him he would find work quickly, but job opportunities dried up when the coronavirus outbreak hit.
“I don’t have social media, I don’t follow news much, so I was not aware of how bad the pandemic was getting when I came,” Mr Agyapong said.
“I paid Dh700 for a share room in Dubai and then moved to Ajman because it was cheaper. I paid Dh400 for a bed space."
Unable to find a job, Mr Agyapong called a travel agent in mid-March to book a flight home but the borders closed on March 19.
"Now I have no money left," he said. "I need our consulate and government to help me get home.
"I’ve been sleeping outside for about one month now and I don't have funds to buy a flight ticket when they become available."
Some people in the group, who did not want to be identified, said their employers still had their passports, which is against the law, despite being let go from their jobs.
I don't want to be a burden on the UAE and keep taking food and drink from people, I just want to go home to my daughter, mum and dad
Although the borders of Ghana remain closed, the group said they were relying on their government to arrange chartered flights to help them return.
In April, a similar scheme was set up by the Indian government allowing nationals to board repatriation flights, despite a total lockdown in India.
More than 350,000 people have signed up, with about 16,000 returning home so far, the Indian embassy said this week.
Many had lost jobs or had their salaries cut because of the economic effects of Covid-19. Others were tourists stranded in the country when flights were grounded.
More than 11,500 Pakistanis and 6,000 Filipinos have also been repatriated in the past couple of months.
About 27 special flights to Pakistan have been scheduled in the first 10 days of June.
Meanwhile, the consulate general of Ghana said it was working to resolve the issue.
“Some members of the group first reported at the Ghanaian consulate on the evening of May 25 and were addressed by the consul general the next morning,” said Kofi Mumuni, from the consulate’s welfare department.
“The consul general pleaded with them to return to their various accommodations in the UAE while staff finalised ongoing arrangements for their evacuation to Ghana.
“While they agreed and left the consulate, some of them went to camp at the park.
“We have been working with Ghana and the UAE authorities in collaboration with Emirates Airlines to evacuate our stranded nationals and arrangements are almost concluded.”
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Gallery: Coronavirus in the UAE
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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