One station is scheduled to return to service next week, after 'all necessary maintenance and testing jobs have been completed'
uae12 hours ago
With a few days to go before the UAE visa amnesty programme ends, Ethiopian and Pakistani absconders fear that the delay in their passports' renewal from their respective consulates will make them lose their chance of being granted legal residency.
Ethiopian runaway helper Mecca Mohammed (real name withheld to protect identity) has been overstaying for two years after she left her previous sponsor in Al Ain. Her passport was missing. After spending weeks searching for her passport to avail of the amnesty, she found it but it had already expired.
"I found it at the embassy in Abu Dhabi after weeks of searching," she told Khaleej Times. She went to the consulate to renew her passport, in order to modify her status by applying for a six-month temporary visa which gives her a chance to find a new sponsor.
"Realising that I am running out of time, I requested the consulate to give me a paper to prove that my passport is in the renewal process. However, I was turned down," said Mohammed.
"The consulate told me that only the renewed passports will be given. Since this is my last chance to modify my status and live legally, I'm worried, I may not be able to catch the amnesty," she said.
The passport renewal can take up to 20 days at the consulate.
The UAE had earlier declared a three-month amnesty on August 1, which allows illegal expatriates to either leave the country without penalties or stay and modify their residency status.
Visa violators can apply across Amer or Tasheel centres for a temporary employment visa to find a new job or a sponsor until October 31.
Another runaway helper Malak Amadi (not her real name) said she also approached the consulate to have her passport renewed. She has been overstaying for three years after leaving her previous sponsor due to mistreatment and delays in paying her salary.
Amadi said she approached the consulate on Sunday for her passport's renewal, but the consulate refused to give her the proof she needed to avail of a new visa.
The list of names of the people whose passports have already been renewed is updated every day on the consulate's website, and absconders are told to wait for their names to come up so they can collect their passports and avail of the amnesty.
Pakistani national Imtiaz Ahmed, who came to the UAE as a child but has been living illegally for the past 12 years, said that he had submitted his passport at the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai for renewal in August.
"It has only been eight days since the officials took my identity card for renewal which might take a month or so. I can apply for the passport renewal only after that and it will also take another three months because the verification has to come from Pakistan," he said.
Ahmed lives in Dhaid with his wife and 14-year-old son who has never been to school due to his illegal status. "We made a mistake and the rulers of the country had forgiven us. So why isn't our own country expediting the procedure?" asked Ahmed, who has now found a job and hopes to get his status rectified.
Another Pakistani national F said that he was still waiting for his passport despite having applied for it in the end of August.
"I've been told that I'll get it soon . So I am waiting since I want to avail of the six-month employment visa," he said.
An Amer centre official in Dubai confirmed to Khaleej Times that absconders whose passports are being renewed can get a paper from the consulate if they want to modify their status and seek a six-month employment visa for a Dh521 fee.
One station is scheduled to return to service next week, after 'all necessary maintenance and testing jobs have been completed'
uae12 hours ago
Individuals that are physically active tend to ignore mild pain, considering it a normal part of exercise or sports
uae13 hours ago
The campus is set to become the largest dedicated hub for AI and technology companies in the Middle East and North Africa
uae13 hours ago
Dravid's tenure comes to an end after the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies
sports14 hours ago
Stand-in skipper Jitesh believes the absence of key England players will not affect his side's morale on Sunday
sports14 hours ago
Netanyahu came under personal attack from Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war
world14 hours ago
The fund is designed to finance the production of artistic and creative works in film, music, performances, and video games
uae14 hours ago
Fico has been in hospital since Wednesday when a lone gunman shot him four times, including in the abdomen
world15 hours ago