Ban to apply on violators of entry law

ABU DHABI — The Ministry of Interior yesterday said while it had done away with the automatic six-month ban on expatriates who had their employment visas cancelled, expatriates who violated the country’s Immigration and Residency Laws would still face the entry ban.

By Wael Yousef

Published: Wed 24 Aug 2005, 10:26 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 7:16 PM

Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Al Khidhar, Legal Adviser at the Directorate of Immigration and Residency at the Interior Ministry, said the government would further elaborate on the issue this week, hinting that the finer points pertaining to the lifting of the ban needed to be worked on.

Article 6 of the Cabinet Decree No. 18 of 2005 annuls Decree No. 30 of 2001 pertaining to the entry ban, ministry sources asserted, and said the Cabinet decision also authorised the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi to put together necessary regulations to implement the decision on the ban.

"Subsequently, iris scanning has also been stopped. Besides, the names of expatriates with cancelled visas will no longer be on the administrative lists nor will their passports be stamped with the ban," the sources said.

The source also pointed out that the ban was in line with the visa transfer measures now being followed by the labour authorities. "This is aimed at preventing contradictions with other laws promulgated in the country besides supporting labour policies," said the sources.

The ban to enter the UAE will only be applicable on expats who violate laws governing the entry and residence of foreigners, the sources said. Khaleej Times is in possession of a copy of the decision with the details. Such violators would face the entry ban administratively for a multitude of reasons and in line with existing laws and regulations.

Instructions were issued on August 21 by Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Interior Minister, lifting the entry ban on private sector employees when their residence visas are cancelled.

Domestic help were "temporarily" excluded from the new decision, and their case will undergo further scrutiny by the authorities, the sources said.

Federal immigration authorities said that 40,119 people, including private sector employees and domestic help, had their passports stamped with a no-entry ban in the first half of the year.

The statistics revealed that 29,629 employees from various private sector firms received the ban for six months, while 10,490 domestic help were banned for one year.

According to Article 63 of the Federal Law on the entry and stay of foreigners in the UAE, there was also a ban on the issue of entry permits to these people till the end of the ban period. Categories excluded from the ban system were included in a list specified by labour and immigration authorities.