No grace period for Visa violators UAE

Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, Ministry of Interior's Assistant Undersecretary of Naturalisation, Residency and Exits Affairs by proxy. He said the number of violators who were seized last year totalled 27,550, while the number of infiltrators was 2,474. In addition, 69 infiltrators accommodating cases were recorded.

he said: "We do not have any intention to announce a grace period for the violators. We attempt currently to modify our laws to destroy the phenomenon of violators as soon as possible. MoI took in the last period many procedures that limited the phenomenon of violators, like the determination of important kinds of visas and inception of department specialised in the following up of violators.

 

"I think the violators do not have any excuse currently to stay in the country. In addition, we need to intensify penalties on the violators and make them include imprisonment.

 

"The UAE is not like other countries that are strict in the issuance of new visas. Its measures are very flexible and need all people who come into the country to respect its laws. MoI grants visas according to set security regulations. Besides, MoI will launch soon a huge awareness campaign in cooperation with the embassies of countries to which a large number of violators belong to educate them on the harms of their violations. The awareness campaign will concentrate on workers who live in farms and remote areas which contain a big number of violators. I think the infiltration phenomenon will largely fall in 2010. In addition, the number of infiltrators in 2007 and 2008 was higher than 2009. Naturalisation and Residency Department set up Sahim service in November 11 to give any information related to the violators and infiltrators and 162 cases were informed via this service. We call all nationals and residents not to employ the violators who do not have legal residences or work in professions that are not registered in their residency. I think MoI will have zero-tolerance in the next period towards the violators and infiltrators or their protectors.