UAE grants amnesty exit period for illegal immigrants

Undocumented Sri Lankans to receive Out-passes

The Sri Lankan Consulate in Dubai has made all arrangements to issue outpasses to Sri Lankan nationals who are illegally working in the United Arab Emirates and prefer to go back to Sri Lanka, making use of the amnesty being granted by U.A.E for illegal immigrants to leave the country. The amnesty deadline ends in the first week of February.

Out-passes to leave the country are required as almost all the illegal workers do not posses their passports, particularly drivers, domestic workers, and cleaners since their passports are held by their employers. However, many companies in the U.A.E return the passports to the passport holders upon making the due registration process with the immigration authorities.

The Consulate in Dubai said already about 500 emergency certificates have been issued since the amnesty announcement and these were issued mostly to women working illegally as domestic helpers or cleaners. It said that they are issuing about 30 out-passes each day.

More illegally staying Sri Lankans will seek this amnesty as the deadline gets near

The Sri Lankan Consul General in Dubai Mr. Abdul Raheem has said more illegally staying Sri Lankans will seek this amnesty as the deadline comes close. “The number coming in now is less than what we expected, and it may be because of there are fewer people staying illegally. He has said that during the previous amnesty announced in 2007, the consulate had

issued nearly 4,000 out-passes.