An Indian mother who secured her family's future in the UAE under the country's visa amnesty programme has hailed the scheme for providing a 'miracle' answer to a decade of troubles.
Anita Bhatia has been trapped in legal limbo since 2010, when her Dubai employer accused her of misappropriating company funds and took her to court.
The claim - which she continues to refute - set off a chain of events that changed her and her family's lives forever.
She served five months in prison and was hit with a travel ban, denying her the opportunity to start life afresh outside of the UAE.
Due to her legal battles, her passport was held by police which meant she could not renew her children's visas.
Her own employment visa also lapsed in 2013, while she faced the daunting task of supporting her two children alone, after her husband returned to India following the death of his father in 2010.
“The amnesty is the big miracle in our lives,” said Ms Bhatia, 42, who finally secured a work visa on Sunday, June 16, and started work a day later.
“Since 2013 we have had no visas. I had court cases against me so I would explain to police, immigration and education authorities that until I cleared all this, I could not get official documents.
“I decided long ago that I must clear my name one step at a time.”
Her travel ban was subsequently revoked in 2017 when a civil case was resolved in her favour.
She then applied a year later for a temporary visa during the amnesty programme.
Ms Bhatia got a job just in time, as her temporary six-month job seeker visa issued by immigration authorities in December would have run out on June 30.
Invaluable financial aid from volunteers of a charity group, a Dubai church and a small group of friends, combined with the support of immigration and education authorities and the Indian consulate helped her keep her children in school in those difficult years.
Her daughter Gunjan, 20, is now studying psychology in college and her son Raj, 13, is in grade seven in a British curriculum school.
Ms Bhatia is among thousands of residents who have rectified their status by finding employment.
People whose visas had expired had the chance to leave the country without paying fines or could adjust their residency status during the UAE government’s amnesty programme, that ran from August 1 to December 31 last year.
“There were times we had no food to eat, no money to pay bills or fees and then somebody would call and help out. I used to cry, I have been terrified but I had faith that this time would pass,” said Ms Bhatia, who has lived in Dubai for the last 27 years.
But she still needs to clear one ongoing court case related to the breach of trust charge.
“The government and immigration staff helped us a lot because they allowed my children to study without identity papers. We told the truth about the court cases against me.”
The family lives in a small room in an apartment they share with another couple in Sharjah.
As primary caregiver, Ms Bhatia wanted the children with her in the UAE so she could watch over them as she could not leave the country due to legal restrictions.
Both mother and daughter lean on each other through their troubles.
Gunjan said she has drawn strength from watching her mother fight tirelessly to keep the family together.
“I thought if my parents can smile, then why can’t I,” said Gunjan who hopes to study for a masters and PhD degree in psychology counselling and plans to use art therapy to work with children with special needs.
“There were times I was very scared like when I was very young and my mother was in jail.
"We don't have much. We can't afford luxuries, our clothes and shoes are given by cousins or my mother's colleagues. We often survive on dal (lentil curry) and rice but we have each other."
Gunjan smiles when she hears fellow students at Middlesex University Dubai speak of their academic challenges or arguments with parents.
“Very few people know our story. When I hear students in my college say, ‘Life is hard,’ I think, “Yeah right. You live in a villa. You don’t need to worry about food or fees.
“We have never had a father figure in our life because our dad is far away. But seeing my mother word hard motivates me to face life.”
The family came forward to tell their story as the validity of thousands of amnesty visas will expire by the month-end and residents must either leave the UAE or get jobs to change their status.
They want others in similar situations to believe they can resolve problems by engaging with authorities.
“I want to tell people not to hide,” Ms Bhatia said.
“They too can find a way and let the children continue their studies. I want to tell them to talk to the authorities because there will be a solution.”
What was the UAE's amnesty programme?
The UAE government launched an amnesty programme from August 1 to 31 December last year
Residents without valid visas had the opportunity to either leave the country without paying fines or could remain and change their residency status
People who had overstayed their visas could exit without paying fines, would not be imprisoned nor would they face a ban on re-entry
Alternatively, they could rectify their status by finding a job and getting a new sponsor
The UAE amnesty programme covered violations before August 1, 2018 only
The programme granted people a grace period to settle their status or to leave the UAE voluntarily without legal consequences or fines
People keen on staying in the UAE could obtain a six-month self-sponsored temporary visa
Job seekers could look for employment by registering for jobs on the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
People with varying visa issues were considered under the scheme
Those who had entered the country illegally would be given amnesty by exiting the UAE with two-year ban but without any fines
People against whom absconding reports had been filed could apply for amnesty and leave the country without a ban
Residents of countries affected by war and disasters were given residence visas for one year regardless of their residency conditions
The visa of widows or divorced women, and of their children, was extended for one year without the need for a sponsor
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
if you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals (more at www.hertz.com/etihad). A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
More on Turkey's Syria offence
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MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Kanye%20West
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Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
