Illegal residents warned of intensified inspections after visa amnesty ends, urged to 'start a new life

A top official at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has issued a call to illegal residents, urging them to avail the visa amnesty before it concludes on December 31, 2024.

The amnesty scheme, which began on September 1, was initially set to expire on October 31, 2024, but was extended to provide more time for overstayers to regularise their status or return to their home countries without facing penalties or fines.

Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the GDRFA, highlighted the urgency of the situation: “The amnesty is going to end, and overstayers who have not yet regularised their status should utilise the remaining time of the grace period to rectify their residency violations.”

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Intensified inspections Major General Salah Al Qamzi, assistant director general of the Violators and Foreigners Follow-up Sector, highlighted that the upcoming phase will witness intensified inspection campaigns and strict measures against violators who fail to take advantage of this opportunity.

“We are committed to enforcing laws with full transparency and fairness. Our efforts to enhance community security will continue through intensified inspection campaigns, which will commence immediately after the grace period ends,” said Al Qamzi.

Call for community support

Al Marri also called for community wide support to spread awareness about the amnesty program.

“Everyone is happy with the amnesty. It has passed smoothly and many illegal residents have taken the initiative seriously and benefited from it,” said Al Marri. 
 

“Many who availed of the amnesty have secured jobs and are now doing well in life.”

However, he expressed concern about individuals who continue to ignore the initiative, doubting its legitimacy. “There are people who still come to my office asking whether the amnesty is real. 

They should understand that we are here to help you,” he said.

Humanitarian support

Al Marri mentioned the humanitarian aspect of the amnesty, sharing stories of families and children who have benefited from the initiative. “We have connected individuals without passports to their respective embassies. They went home happily.”

He highlighted cases of children whose situations were particularly challenging. “We have seen children who did not know their fathers and were cared for by their mothers. 

These children had no visas to take vaccines, but Dubai Health provided them vaccines. It was our duty to take care of them.”

The Director General praised the efforts of his team in helping overstayers regularise their status or return home. “I am really proud of the team who helped people go back home,” he said, urging communities to propagate the message of amnesty.

Al Marri issued a strong reminder: “It is our duty to make lives easy for others. People who do not avail of this amnesty will blame themselves in the future. 
 

It is less than 15 days for the initiative to get over. Come, regularise your status, get rid of fines and start a new life.

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/life-and-living/visa-and-immigration-in-uae/uae-illegal-residents-warned-of-intensified-inspections-after-visa-amnesty-ends-urged-to-start-a