DUBAI – Scores of Pakistanis working in United Arab Emirates are availing the three-month amnesty program for foreign workers who are fined daily for overstaying their permits and are prevented from leaving until they pay the penalties.
Consul General of Pakistan Syed Javed Hassan told Khaleej Times that a total of 700 men and women have approached the various help desks that have been set up at the Al Aweer Immigration Centre and 400 others have approached the Consulate.
“Some nationals have gone directly to the immigration centres but that is a very small minority,” Hassan said and added that UAE’s immigration authorities have advised amnesty seekers to travel only after 10 days of issuing the exit passes.
The three-month visa amnesty scheme called the ‘Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status’ started on August 1 and will continue till October 31.
Some 1.2 million Pakistanis reside in the UAE and the scheme allows those foreigners violating the residency law a three-month grace period during which they can rectify their legal status by paying the required fees.
As per the new visa rules, the individuals who entered the UAE illegally will have the chance to leave voluntarily with a ‘no entry’ stamp for two years given that they provide a valid return ticket.
Earlier, it was learnt that the Pakistani missions in the UAE will issue free outpasses to Pakistanis seeking the amnesty scheme, while in certain cases their passport validity will also be extended free of cost for seven months.
According to the new scheme, the illegal expats who come forward by Oct 31 would not be fined or charged if they choose to leave the country voluntarily.
The amnesty also caters to the people who entered the Petro-state illegally.
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) revealed that 1,534 overstaying residents applied on the first day of the amnesty programme at its centers in Al Aweer and Amer.
The amnesty also grants those looking for employment, a six-month visa to find a job. It excludes, however, those who are ‘blacklisted ‘or with legal cases pending against them.
The government expects ‘thousands’ of people, primarily labourers from various countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines, to take advantage of the program.
The amnesty, launched on Wednesday, is the fifth since 1996 – the previous took place in 2013.
In 2013, almost 62,000 illegal residents took advantage of the visa amnesty, which continued for two months.
