The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai was not satisfied with providing the announced benefits included in the deadline for regularizing the status of violators, which the state launched over a period of four months. It also took the initiative to provide a package of humanitarian and social services, which contributed to transforming the lives of people who were struggling violators. They are subject to heavy fines, become legal residents, have gained new job opportunities, and a stable, safe life.
During the follow-up of the mechanisms for implementing the deadline, Emirates Today monitored five humanitarian and social services that the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai took the initiative to provide to violators who went to the Violations Settlement Center in Al Aweer, throughout the deadline.
This package included attracting companies and representatives of institutions in various specializations to provide job opportunities for suitable ones, the second, coordination with the consulates of the countries to which the largest segment of violators belong to contribute to solving their problems, and issuing documents and documents that are not available with them, and the third, opening a direct coordination line with the Ministry of Human Resources. And nationalization to end procedures that may hinder their re-employment, or help accelerate their enrollment in new jobs, and fourth, coordination with Dubai Police to complete procedures related to police work in record time. Such as conducting DNA analyzes for children of unknown fathers who have violated their residency status, and the fifth is helping to provide travel tickets for those unable to do so whose status has been modified and they have obtained exit permits thanks to the deadline.
In detail, the deadline for regularizing the status of violators of residency laws at the state level ended last December 31, after it contributed to adjusting the status of tens of thousands of people, including 236,000 in Dubai alone, according to the Director General of the General Administration of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed. Al-Mari.
Specific groups benefited from the grace period that was initially launched for two months, and then the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security decided to extend it for an additional two months so that the benefit would include the largest number of people, especially in light of the crowding in service centers over a period of two months.
Al-Mahmalah provided several benefits to violators, provided by all service centers in the various emirates of the country, which included exemption from administrative fines for residency and visas resulting from staying in the country illegally, establishment card fines, ID card fines, and Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation fines.
The benefits also included exemption from the residence and visa cancellation fee, the fee for filing a work interruption report, departure fees, residence and visa details fees, and exit permit fees. It also provided the opportunity to allow the violator to leave the country after settling his situation without a deprivation stamp from entering the country.
Over the course of four months of implementing the humanitarian initiative, Emirates Today monitored additional measures taken by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai to facilitate the largest number of people benefiting from the grace period, and to prevent any obstacles preventing the completion of their procedures, especially in light of the lack of familiarity of many reviewers with the documents. And the required documents, or they do not have them at all.
The administration took a fundamental step from the beginning, which included inviting the consuls of the countries to which the largest number of violators belong to the Situation Settlement Center in Al-Awir, to see for themselves the dignified humane treatment their citizens are receiving, and then contribute to facilitating the issuance of any documents or papers that the violators need from their consulates, so that They can enjoy the benefits of the deadline before it expires.
Dubai Residency officials told Emirates Al-Youm on the sidelines of the deadline that there were cases of people whose passports had expired, or who had lost their documents in the first place, and therefore it was necessary to communicate with consulates to help them faster, and this was an essential factor in ending the procedures for these violators. and correct their situation.
They added that there were consulates that showed a wonderful response during the deadline period, and joint working teams were formed with them, and they were keen to allocate representatives to the main center in Al Awir so that they could meet the needs of their citizens immediately, stressing that this was an important factor and enhanced reassurance in the souls of the people in violation, especially in light of the keenness to Consulates to organize awareness sessions and provide guidance in their language to their citizens who visited the center.
They pointed out that it was necessary to explain some detailed matters related to the deadline that the violators did not understand at first, including, for example, the importance of issuing exit permits for those who were unable to obtain a job opportunity, because it allows them to legalize their status and be exempt from violations, in parallel with continuing to search for jobs. If they are successful, the permits will be automatically cancelled, pointing out that the consulates helped the administration direct the auditors to the best solutions suitable for them.
In light of its keenness for violators to benefit from the deadline to the greatest extent possible, and not to obstruct their procedures, the General Administration of Residency and Foreigners Affairs opened a coordination line with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which played a prominent humanitarian role, according to Dubai Residency officials, who reported that the Ministry was facilitating the necessary procedures. For their part, to accelerate the re-employment of people who were able to obtain job opportunities, through procedures to adjust the situation by giving priority to issuing work permits to violators who benefited from the deadline. Which was a very important factor in quickly adjusting their situations.
In addition, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs was keen to open a coordination channel with the Dubai Police General Command regarding procedures related to violators, and Dubai Police responded, within the framework of its societal and humanitarian role, by issuing certificates of loss, whether for passports or other documents, within only three hours instead of From 48 hours as usual, to relieve visitors.
Coordination between the Residency and Dubai Police contributed to amending the conditions of an important group of violators, namely children of unknown father, according to the Deputy Assistant Director for Investigation Affairs in the Violators and Foreigners Follow-up Sector, Colonel Abdullah Ateeq, who explained that the General Administration of Residency and Foreigners Affairs is committed to clear steps within the framework of settling the conditions of children. The father is unknown during the period while exempting them from fines. The first is to confirm the identity of the child, by conducting a DNA test for the mother and son, in cooperation with Dubai Police, which facilitates this procedure. It is available in record time, and as soon as it is confirmed that she is the real biological mother of the child, her statement is recorded, and it is verified that there are no restrictions on the son’s travel, then the mother’s consulate is addressed to obtain the necessary papers for him, and then a departure permit is issued for him.
The list of services provided by Dubai Residency to violators through self-initiatives, apart from the benefits that were officially made available to all violators, included helping them obtain new job opportunities, through communication with different companies and institutions, which contributed to changing the entire path of the beneficiaries, from people who were stranded in violation. Due to the accumulation of fines and violations, the paths are transferred to legal residents who have a new job and legal residency.
The exceptional services provided by the General Administration of Residence during the deadline included helping some financially incapable violators who obtained exit permits after being exempted from fines accumulated due to violations to obtain travel tickets to return to their country.
In addition to the five services provided by the administration, in addition to the basic benefits of the deadline, Emirates Today monitored initiatives taken by Dubai Residency to facilitate the people who were able to adjust their status and obtain new job opportunities, including allowing them to complete documents that they did not have during the deadline. Such as rental contracts, so as not to hinder their affairs and miss out on the opportunities available for a new, stable life.
Recruitment interviews at Al Aweer Centre
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs allocated platforms for private sector companies to conduct employment interviews at the Al Awir Center, which helped end the difficulty of searching for a new job for workers in violation of the law.
One of the owners of companies in Dubai, Muhammad Abdel Fattah, told Emirates Al-Youm that the interest is mutual between the worker and the company, and what the General Administration of Residency in Dubai did was to facilitate the convergence of the wills of the two parties.
He added that various industrial or commercial institutions usually resort to recruitment companies to provide labor for them, especially specialized technicians, such as carpenters, plumbers, builders, or other professions required in the Emirati market, pointing out that he expects this wonderful initiative to be achieved by the Dubai Residency. » Tangible and influential results in the lives of many people.
. “Dubai Residency” made it easier for those who modified their status and obtained job opportunities, allowing documents such as rental contracts to be completed, so as not to hinder their affairs.
. Facilitating the issuance of any documents needed by violators from their consulates, so that they can enjoy the benefits of the deadline before it expires.
. “Dubai Residency” opened a direct coordination line with “Human Resources and Emiratisation” to end procedures that may hinder re-employment.
. Coordinating with Dubai Police to complete procedures related to police work in record time.
