Armed border guards arrested 10 people of various nationalities attempting to enter the Emirates illegally between Sunday and Tuesday, the government news agency WAM reported. They were handed over to the Ministry of Interior, WAM said. The news came as the ministry revealed that almost 14,000 illegal residents had been caught in the first five months of the year. Brig Nasser al Minhali, acting director general of the ministry's Department of Naturalisation and Residency, held a meeting in Ajman with officials from all seven emirates to discuss policies, including the recent decision to give expatriate property owners renewable six-month residency visas. He described the law as positive and said it would aid the growth and development of the country, according to WAM.
Other subjects discussed included initiatives to clamp down on illegal residents and new technology for the departments of immigration and naturalisation to record the eye, face and fingerprint details of new residents. hdajani@thenational.ae
