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Illegal workers too seek regularisation
DUBAI — The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, which has set August 23 as the deadline for companies to obtain or renew expired labour cards to escape hefty fines, has also been approached by illegal labourers who had been ditched by their companies after their recruitment, for regularisation of their status.
Humaid bin Dimas, Assistant Under-Secretary of the ministry, however, made it clear that the authorities could do little in these cases since the workers were filing their complaints after several years of illegal stay in the country. "They are complaining after they themselves have violated the laws of the country, and will hence have to face the penality stated in the laws," he said.
A large number of workers have approached the ministry complaining that their sponsors failed to offer them jobs, and refraining from obtaining labour cards for them, or in some cases not renewing labour cards. Some complainant told the ministry that they had realised that the company, which had brought them, was not functional and their employer had released them in the market.
One of these cases related to an Arab worker whose three-year residency and labour card expired two years ago. He was recruited by a company five years ago, but on landing here, was not offered a job. During this period, he worked illegally for other companies. "My employer refrained from renewing my visa and labour card, and my job title did not allow sponsorship transfer. So I worked illegally," he told the ministry, and requested the authorities to waive the one year ban on his passport.
The worker said that he decided to leave the country and rectify his status after the introduction of the hefty fines on delay.
Bin Dimas said these workers should have approached the ministry when their employers failed to offer them jobs or when the company stopped operations. In general, should an employer fail to fulfil obligations towards workers he recruits, the workers should immediately notify the ministry and should not seek jobs with others, he said, adding : "In such cases, the ministry will appreciate the positive attitude of the worker towards the country's laws."
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