UAE amnesty-seekers fear missing deadline

With a few days to go before the UAE visa amnesty programme ends, Ethiopian and Pakistani absconders fear that the delay in their passports' renewal from their respective consulates will make them lose their chance of being granted legal residency.

Ethiopian runaway helper Mecca Mohammed (real name withheld to protect identity) has been overstaying for two years after she left her previous sponsor in Al Ain. Her passport was missing. After spending weeks searching for her passport to avail of the amnesty, she found it but it had already expired.

"I found it at the embassy in Abu Dhabi after weeks of searching," she told Khaleej Times. She went to the consulate to renew her passport,  in order to modify her status by applying for a six-month temporary visa which gives her a chance to  find a new sponsor.

"Realising that I am running out of time, I requested the consulate to give me a paper to prove that my passport is in the renewal process. However, I was turned down," said Mohammed.

"The consulate told me that only the renewed passports will be given. Since this is my last chance to modify my status and live legally, I'm worried, I may not be able to catch the amnesty," she said.

The passport renewal can take up to 20 days at the consulate.

The UAE had earlier declared a three-month amnesty on August 1, which allows illegal expatriates to  either leave the country without  penalties or stay and modify their residency status.

Visa violators can apply across Amer or Tasheel centres for a temporary employment visa to find a new job or a sponsor until October 31.

Another runaway helper Malak Amadi (not her real name) said she also approached the consulate to have her passport renewed. She has been overstaying for three years after leaving her previous sponsor due to mistreatment and delays in paying her salary.

Amadi said she approached the consulate on Sunday for her passport's renewal, but the consulate refused to give her the proof she needed to avail of a new visa.

The list of names of the people whose passports have already been renewed is updated every day on the consulate's website, and absconders are told to wait for their names to come up so they can collect their passports and avail of the amnesty.

Pakistani national Imtiaz Ahmed, who came to the UAE as a child but has been living illegally for the past 12 years, said that he had submitted his passport at the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai for renewal in August.

"It has



only been eight days since the officials took my identity card for renewal which might take a month or so. I can apply for the passport renewal only after that and it will also take another three months because the verification has to come from Pakistan," he said.

Ahmed lives in Dhaid with his wife and 14-year-old son who has never been to school due to his illegal status. "We made a mistake and the rulers of the country had forgiven us. So why isn't our own country expediting the procedure?" asked Ahmed, who has now found a job and hopes to get his status rectified.

Another Pakistani national F said that he was still waiting for his passport despite having applied for it in the end of August.

"I've been told that I'll get it soon . So I am waiting since I want to avail of the six-month employment visa," he said.

An Amer centre official in Dubai confirmed to Khaleej Times that absconders whose passports are being renewed can get a paper from the consulate if they want to modify their status and seek a six-month employment visa for a Dh521 fee.

Missions promise to resolve issues, help citizens avail of the amnesty

The Consulate-General of Ethiopia in Dubai said that up to 2,000 passports were renewed last week. A spokesperson said a "technical glitch" in the system caused delays in passport renewal and issuance.

"Some experience delays due to security reasons or a mistake in their documents." The spokesperson said those who applied for renewal early on were not given a proof of application, since the passport was guaranteed to be issued before the amnesty was over.

"However, Ethiopian citizens who would submit their passports for renewal during the last week of amnesty would be given a document for immigration purposes, telling authorities that their passports are under renewal, so that they get a chance to legalise their status," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson from the Pakistan Consulate in Dubai said: "Since the start of the amnesty scheme, the consulate has been encouraging all Pakistani nationals to avail of this opportunity as much and as early as they can."

"The consulate-general has been assisting amnesty-seekers on a daily basis regarding renewal and extension of passports and issuance of emergency travel documents. Almost all cases are resolved in the consulate promptly.

"Delays occur only in cases where documents are incomplete or a verification of antecedents is required. Anyone with such concerns is advised to approach the consulate at the earliest," the spokesperson said.