DUBAI: As a major amnesty drive kicked off in the United Arab Emirates on 1 August, 2018 to help illegal migrants either leave the country without paying fines or legalise their residency status, Sri Lankan missions in the country have drawn up a special plan offering consular assistance to Sri Lankan migrant workers who wish to avail themselves of this official pardon.
The UAE government has announced that all illegal residents should take advantage of the amnesty initiative called ‘Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status’, which will run for three months until 31 October. The initiative allows people who have overstayed their visit or residence visas or those who are absconding or having other labour issues the option to either rectify their status or exit the country.
People who rectify their status will be granted a six-month temporary residence visa but they will not be allowed to work until they have found employment legally and then transfer their residence visa to the new job sponsor.
The seven emirates that make up the UAE host millions of migrant workers, a majority of them from the South Asian region including over 300,000 Sri Lankan workers.
The initiative is unprecedented, as the UAE government has offered wide-ranging options to the amnesty-seekers, which were never available during amnesty campaigns run by the authorities in the past.
Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashidi, Director of Residency Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, said: “This is a great opportunity for illegal residents to rectify their status legally or leave the country without paying fines.”
During the previous amnesty deals, overstayers who found a new job were always allowed to regularise their status, but absconders among them had to leave the country with an entry ban. However, this amnesty offers a great opportunity for absconders to get their cases removed from the system and move on to new visas, if they get job offers. Further, amnesty-seekers who already had a job offer can immediately move to a residency visa during the amnesty period, and those who have not managed to find a job can now obtain a six-month temporary visa.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah) have taken steps to raise awareness of the amnesty among illegal Sri Lankan migrant workers and to ease the process and help them benefit from the initiative.
“The Consulate General of Sri Lanka, whilst expressing its maximum possible assistance to fellow Sri Lankans during the proposed Amnesty period, encourages all Sri Lankans who stay illegally in the UAE to utilize this opportunity to legalize their stay in or exit from the UAE as responsible, law-abiding and decent citizens,” the Consulate General of Sri Lanka said in a special notice posted on its website.
Chathura Weerasekara, Head of Chancery at the Sri Lankan Consulate General in Dubai, said that the Sri Lankan missions would also issue free travel documents to less privileged amnesty seekers who are unable to afford repatriation costs. The Consulate General is also looking at the possibility of stationing an official of Sri Lankan airlines at the mission to facilitate fast issuance of flight tickets and to provide discounted fares to deserving cases.
The Sri Lankan mission has also set up dedicated phone lines and an email address that will be maintained specifically to address the queries related to using the proposed amnesty scheme. Depending on the number of people who turn up to seek consular assistance, Sri Lankan volunteers will be stationed at key immigration places with a view to assisting Sri Lankan amnesty seekers.
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UAE AMNESTY GUIDE
Who is eligible for amnesty?
Residency law violators: These are people who violated the residency law till July 31 by entering the UAE illegally, overstaying, or absconding. Those who entered the UAE illegally (without a visa) can exit the country without paying any fines. However, they face a two-year entry ban and can re-enter the UAE only after that period. Violations after July 31 will not be considered for amnesty.
Former residents: These are people who left the country with an entry ban for violations such as overstaying and absconding. They can return by applying for any kind of visa (tourist/visit/residence/investor) through normal channels during the amnesty period. However, they should not have pending legal cases. Those who were convicted and have served jail sentences for minor crimes might be considered.
How do they go about it?
■ Those who entered the UAE legally, but overstayed their visa can leave the country without paying any fines.
■ They can also regularise their status if they have a job offer.
■ They are eligible to return anytime as there is no entry ban on them. They can apply for a six-month temporary visa to search for a new job.
■ Absconders can get their names removed from the list by paying a fee.
What is the procedure to leave the country?
■ Amnesty-seekers have to get an exit permit/emergency certificate (valid for 21 days) issued by immigration authorities after going through fingerprinting and eye scanning. They must have an air ticket dated 10 days after submitting the application.
■ Those who have a valid passport and a flight ticket can directly approach amnesty centres and apply for an exit permit by paying a fee of Dh221.
■ Those without a valid passport need to get an emergency certificate issued by his/her country’s embassy or consulate. Missions do not renew passports in amnesty cases. It can only be done in the home country.
Six-month temporary visa
This gives amnesty-seekers a chance to stay back and find a job. This visa will be only issued to those who entered the UAE through legal channels. The visa-holder will be eligible to search for a job in the UAE in the six-month period.
What if they don’t find a job?
Those that find a job can move to a new residency. Others can return to the UAE on a new visa as they are not subject to an entry ban.
Is there any assistance for finding jobs?
Amnesty-seekers availing of the six-month visa can register on the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s portal for preference in jobs. However, this does not guarantee a job.
(Source: Gulf News)
