Read: Thousands avail of scheme

Thousands of illegal residents have used the amnesty scheme to either exit the country without paying fines or get a six-month jobseeker visa. We spoke to multiple diplomatic missions about the volume of transactions they processed.

Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Ambassador Mohammad Imran said the Bangladeshi embassy has, since August 1, enrolled 12,000 requests for new passports. “More than 8,000 passports have already been delivered. We are still awaiting more than 4,500 new passports to arrive from Dhaka. People can apply for the six-month temporary visa under the amnesty scheme only after receiving the new passports.”

India

Indian Ambassador Navdeep Singh Suri said the embassy issued a total of 656 emergency certificates and 275 short validity passports to residents since the amnesty began.

“In Dubai, we issued 3,332 emergency exit passes and 1,638 short validity passports for those who want to make use of the six-month temporary visa.”

Pakistan

According to a statement issued by the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai, a large number of Pakistani nationalities have availed of the amnesty programme since August. “With only a few days left, Pakistani nationals must make most of the amnesty. We are providing services to amnestyseekers on top priority. For those who have availed of the amnesty, the consulate urges you to follow the laws of the land (UAE).”

Indonesia

Indonesian Consul-General Ridwan Hassan said that from August 1, almost 3,000 people came for registration in the consulate. “Almost 70 per cent will stay in UAE and change their status and 30 per cent

will go back to Indonesia. We are still counting the final details. Around 80 people from our shelter returned to Indonesia.

The Philippines

Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes said: “We continue to urge our kababayan (countrymen) to avail of the amnesty programme of the UAE government. The news that an extra 30 days have been given to all nationals to rectify their residency status in the UAE must signal to all that there is still time to have all documentation and legal encumbrances resolved to be able to apply for amnesty.”

As of October 28, the Philippine Consulate in Dubai has:

Issued 1,838 travel documents allowing overstaying Filipinos without valid passports to travel to the Philippines

Processed 1,819 passports to allow those wishing to apply for a six-month visa or for those who have been offered immediate employment

Spent Dh513,000 to reimburse the exit pass of 1,626 Filipino expats who availed of the amnesty