35,000 illegals rounded up in Dubai

DUBAI — During the first half of this year the Dubai Police have arrested 34,561 violators of residency laws and 1,780 beggars, according to the statistics released by the police. The number has gone up from 24,718 illegals arrested during the same period last year.

The Anti-Infiltration Department of the Dubai police said 15,348 people were held for infiltrating country; they included 2,520 women. The number of infltrators has increased by 1,884 in comparison with the number last year.

Bangaldeshis topped the list of residency law violators which included 6,514 males and 381 females, followed by 4,232 Pakistanis with six women among them. Number of Indians held for violating residency law was 1,164, which included 62 women. The rest of the violators are from other Asian and African countries.

Major-General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for criminal investigation, said that the Anti–Infiltration Department of the Dubai Police has been exerting all efforts to catch the violators in collaboration with other authorities. He said that the police are intensifying patrols as illegal residents may affect the security of the country as it was found that many of the illegals had committed crimes in the past. Maj.-Gen al mansouri urged people not to shelter anyone violating residency laws. Major Ali Salem, Director of the Anti-Infiltration Department at the Dubai Police, said that among the people arrested, 134 were wanted by the authorities in relation to various cases. Major Ali Salem warned that those who breach the immigration rules by recruiting illegal workers will be held liable and a first time offender will be fined up to dh50,000 by the immigration department.

“If the owner of the company is an expatriate, he will be deported and banned from entering the country for life; if the owner is a national, he will be jailed for a minimum of six months.”