Khaleej Times

Amnesty helps Indian mother with illegitima­te baby fly back home

- Amira Agarib amira@khaleejtim­es.com

sharjah — The General Directorat­e of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Sharjah has helped an Asian mother, who had a baby born out of wedlock two years back and was staying illegally, to avail the amnesty scheme and leave the country with her child.

The mother approached the Sharjah immigratio­n and told the officials about her plight - revealing to them that the child’s father is unknown, said Colonel Hazeem bin Falah Al Suwaidi, director of the department of entry and residence permits at the GDRFA in Sharjah.

Col Hazeem said GDRFA found that the mother had been staying in the UAE illegally and violating the residence law. He said, “When the immigratio­n officials came to know that her son did not have identifica­tion papers, they asked the woman to go to the embassy of her country to obtain passport of the child.” He added, “After getting the travel passes for the child, we facilitate­d his departure with his mother. The fines against the woman were waived off.”

Col Hazeem said similar cases where a woman has got a baby out of wedlock were brought to the immigratio­n officials by representa­tives of various missions and social associatio­ns. But this Asian mother came to the department on her own and expressed her keeness to fly back home with her child.

He said people who have cases like these should not hesitate to approach the immigratio­n officials. All penalties will be waived off and those interested in modifying their status - except those who have civil and criminal cases against them can do so and take benefit of the three-month scheme.

 ?? Photo by M. Sajjad ?? A GDRFA official helps amnesty-seekers outside the Sharjah immigratio­n centre on Wednesday. —
Photo by M. Sajjad A GDRFA official helps amnesty-seekers outside the Sharjah immigratio­n centre on Wednesday. —

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