Filipina sheds ‘tears of relief’ as she will meet her kid after 3 yrs
At 11am on Wednesday morning, Filipina expatriate Ana Almosa broke down in tears as she finally got the news she has been waiting for since 2015. “I can go back home. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
She was among the hundreds of expats flocked to the dedicated pop-up immigration facility in Al Aweer, Dubai.
During an emotional chat with Khaleej Times, the 53-year-old said she only heard about the amnesty on Tuesday. She has been living in the UAE since 2008; but she’s been residing illegally in the country for three years.
“I worked in a beauty salon between 2008 and 2015, but my contract ended in 2015. I kept searching for work as a housemaid or nanny, but because my experience is only in salons, I had no luck.”
With no steady income and no money to pay for an air ticket back home, Almosa said she had no choice but to stay. And that also meant not knowing when she would see her only child again.
For three years now, Almosa has been moving from place to place, renting a bed space whereever she can. Surviving on cash and food donations from the generosity of past clients during her days as a beautician, she said her tears on Wednesday were of “utter relief ”.
Just two days ago, she checked what the status of her overstay fines were and was told she had Dh15,000 outstanding against her name; a sum she “simply could not afford”. But after arriving at Al Aweer Immigration tent at 9am on Wednesday morning — one hour after the official three-month amnesty launched — within two hours she received “great news”.
“All my overstay fines have been waived. I can’t thank the UAE enough for this amnesty. I can start my life back home again.” All Almosa has to do now is buy her air ticket home.
“I don’t want to wait around for donations. I have a small amount saved, which should pay for my flight. I’ll buy the ticket today, then I’ll come back and show it to them. They told me the departure date has to be after 10 days from now, so anytime after August 11 or 12. Then I can finally go back to the Philippines and see my child.”
Set up by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), the tents — segregated into two parts (a men’s lounge and a women’s lounge) — have the capacity to facilitate 3,000 people. But Wednesday’s opening day witnessed a steady flow of amnesty seekers coming through the doors.
With each main tent set into three parts including a registration and waiting area and biometrics counters, the crowds trickled through without clogging up one area.
Most people Khaleej Times spoke to said the process to apply for an outpass — once the right documents were in order — took about 30 minutes maximum.
Dotted around the room, immigration officers were on hand to guide people to the necessary counter and many chairs sat empty as a regular flow of residents were called forward according to their ticket number.
Clarity needed on 6-month jobseeker visa
Amnesty seekers wishing to stay in the country and rectify their status by applying for the six-month jobseeker visa have been asking for some clarity on how to go about this particular application.
On Tuesday, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) received a delegation from Amer and Tasheel centres to discuss their roles in the amnesty process.
This amnesty has been a godsend for me. My fines have been waived, now I just need to get the visa and I will be legal again.” Ricardino Sancel, Filipino expat
It was initially discussed that Amer and Tasheel centres in Dubai would be on hand to assist amnesty-seekers who wish to remain in the UAE. However, when Khaleej Times visited the Amer Centre in Bur Dubai (Mankhool) on Wednesday morning, this reporter was directed to the immigration centre in Al Aweer. And so too was Ricardino Sancel.
Filipino national Sancel, who has been overstaying in the country for eight months, was one of the first people to arrive at the Amer centre on the first day of the amnesty. He was under the impression he could utilise the centre to apply for a sixmonth jobseeker visa, as he has a conditional offer for work. But that was not the case. “The officer there checked the system and told me all my overstay fines had been waived. But when I asked to apply for the six-month jobseeker visa, he directed me to the centre in Al Aweer.”
And after travelling to Al Aweer from Bur Dubai, he was told the immigration tent was positioned to deal with illegal residents applying for an outpass to leave the UAE.
All my overstay fines have been waived. I can’t thank the UAE enough for this amnesty. I can start my life back home again.”
Ana Almosa, Filipina expatriate