Omar and his brother Sultan.- Supplied photo
Fujairah - Omar said he was born violating the residency law and never had identity documents.
Published: Fri 10 Aug 2018, 5:37 PM
Last updated: Tue 14 Aug 2018, 3:59 PM
A total of Dh829,000 in fines was waived for a Yemeni national who overstayed in the country for over 24 years.
Brig Dr Ahmed Ali Al Sagiri, acting executive director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) Fujairah, said they waived the fines of Omar, a 24-year-old from a Pakistani mother and a Yemeni father.
"The parents divorced when he was four years old. The mother went back to her home country leaving the child in the care of his father, who also left the UAE after 14 years. The then-teenager lived with an elderly aunt and after she passed away, went on to live with his half-brothers until he visited us," said Brig Al Sagiri.
"The elder brother Sultan was willing to sponsor him, but the amnesty-seeker was given a one-year residence visa as he is a citizen from a war-torn country," he added.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Omar said he was born violating the residency law and never had identity documents. "I couldn't complete education after elementary school. I was always worried and scared to go out with my friends because I was not holding any valid documents."
Omar thanked the GDRFA for the amnesty initiative. "I always felt disappointed in life. Now that I have managed to adjust my situation, I feel God has granted me a new life and a bright future. I will complete my education and find a good job to support myself instead of depending on others," he said.
Other cases
The GDRFA Fujairah also waived a fine of Dh240,000 of an Arab national who fell into financial debt and had served a jail term due to which his residency visa expired. The amnesty centre approved six-month visa for him.
Reddah Yousif Abdul Fatah, a Jordanian national, said he was working as a banker in Fujairah until eight years ago. He was terminated from his job and decided to send his family back home to be able to look for another job. "I couldn't pay off my debts so I was jailed in 2011 and my residency expired while I was in the jail. The bank demanded me to pay Dh300,000 and when I failed to pay, I was jailed again.
"With help of the initiative 'Relief Fund', all my debts were paid off and I was released from jail but I stayed illegally. Now, I feel like a newborn after all my fines have been exempted. I have six months to find a job. I would like to thank the UAE Government and its wise leaders for providing us another chance in life," he said.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com
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