UAE visa amnesty: teenager, 18, has Dh1m fine waived after living whole life in Dubai without residency

An 18-year-old youth who was born and lived illegally in Dubai his whole life has had a Dh1 million fine waived under the UAE's visa amnesty.

The Asian teenager, immigration officials say, is one of dozens of workers and families who had fines running into the hundreds of thousands of dirhams for overstaying their residency visa for more than a decade.

In another case an African woman who accumulated around Dh300,000 in fines over a nine-year period presented herself to officials in Sharjah.

Workers with expired visas and who are undocumented have thronged UAE immigration centres since Wednesday, seizing the opportunity to enter the process by which they can return home to families without having to pay visa overstay fines.

The amnesty will continue until October 31.

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“Among the cases that was dealt with at Al Aweer centre in Dubai, an Asian family requested to adjust their son’s visa situation after living in the country illegally since he was born," Brig Khalaf Al Ghaith, director general of follow up sector of violators and foreigners in Dubai, said.

"The 18-year-old boy, who was born in Dubai, has no official documents and his overstay fine accumulated around Dh1 million.”

The Asian boy situation has been adjusted and he is able to return back home.

“A number of similar cases have been dealt with," Brig Al Ghaith said. "Some were born here and their official documents were not issued. Their fines have been waived.”

A total of 1,534 people have visited Al Aweer immigration centre by Thursday. Official expect more residents over the next few days to clarify their residency situation. Some of the situations that are being dealt with is complicated while others managed to fix their overstay issues in just ten minutes.

In other emirates, about 500 people were dealt with on the second day of the amnesty in Sharjah and 400 in Ajman.

“An African woman, who stayed in the UAE illegally for nine years, approached the immigration centre in Sharjah. Her overstay fine accumulated Dh300,000," said Col Hazim Khalifa Al Suwaidi, director of the entry and residence permits department in Sharjah.

"Her situation has been sorted out and exempt from paying the accumulated fines.”

In pictures: UAE visa amnesty

Workers with expired visa and who are undocumented thronged UAE immigration centres since August 1. All photos The National