A total of 341,958 illegals across the country benefited from the amnesty which ended on Saturday, said Colonel Naser Al Awadi Al Menhali, Director of the Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department (NRD).
Speaking at a Press conference held at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) yesterday, Al Minhali said the final statistics after the extended period also ended showed that 341,958 people had been working illegally in the country for many years.
“The number included 95,259 workers who legalised their labour status. Some of them moved to the employers on new employment visas while the others renewed their visas which had expired. The NRD issued 72,333 outpasses to workers during the two-month grace period,” said Al Menhali.
He said 174,366 illegals had left the country during the last five months.
In a statement issued yesterday on the expiry of the amnesty period, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, said the cabinet decision to end the phenomenon of illegal workers is in line with the governmwent strategy to ensure sustainable development, social security and guarantee a high level of living for nationals and expatriates.
Shaikh Saif stressed that his ministry would undertake all necessary measures to end the phenomenon of illegal residents by intensifying inspection campaigns and imposing stiffer punishments on violators.
The minister hailed the efforts of Ministry of Labour over the past five months, stressing that inspections campaigns must not be halted to ensure stability of the labour market.
Meanwhile, the NRDs in the Northern Emirates yesterday intensified inspection campaigns on farms and work sites to detect illegal workers. Homes are excluded from the raids to protect the privacy of families, said Al Minhali, adding that the MoI will revise the status of domestic servants to make sure the legality of their residence.
A major source in the MoI said the people who have got outpasses are not allowed to work in the country. If the MoL finds any such people still working, both the worker and the employer would face punishment.
Speaking at a Press conference held at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) yesterday, Al Minhali said the final statistics after the extended period also ended showed that 341,958 people had been working illegally in the country for many years.
“The number included 95,259 workers who legalised their labour status. Some of them moved to the employers on new employment visas while the others renewed their visas which had expired. The NRD issued 72,333 outpasses to workers during the two-month grace period,” said Al Menhali.
He said 174,366 illegals had left the country during the last five months.
In a statement issued yesterday on the expiry of the amnesty period, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, said the cabinet decision to end the phenomenon of illegal workers is in line with the governmwent strategy to ensure sustainable development, social security and guarantee a high level of living for nationals and expatriates.
Shaikh Saif stressed that his ministry would undertake all necessary measures to end the phenomenon of illegal residents by intensifying inspection campaigns and imposing stiffer punishments on violators.
The minister hailed the efforts of Ministry of Labour over the past five months, stressing that inspections campaigns must not be halted to ensure stability of the labour market.
Meanwhile, the NRDs in the Northern Emirates yesterday intensified inspection campaigns on farms and work sites to detect illegal workers. Homes are excluded from the raids to protect the privacy of families, said Al Minhali, adding that the MoI will revise the status of domestic servants to make sure the legality of their residence.
A major source in the MoI said the people who have got outpasses are not allowed to work in the country. If the MoL finds any such people still working, both the worker and the employer would face punishment.
Penalties
MoI officials cautioned both workers and sponsors to abide by the residency and labour laws in the country in order to avert strict penalties.
Al Menhali stressed that anyone who hires illegals will face stiff penalties according to Article 34 of the Penal Code that stipulates imprisonment from three months to one year, in addition to Dh10,000 as fine.
He said a draft bill on the new punishments against hiring or sheltering of illegals awaits the approval of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Major Rashid Khider, Legal Consultant at the MoI, stated: “The new draft law on punishments will include a fine of Dh50,000 (for the first time) or imprisonment of three months to one year in case of recruiting or sheltering illegals and both penalties in the event of repeating the breach.
Moreover, in case of recruiting or sheltering a person entering the country illegally, the employer will face a Dh100,000 fine or imprisonment of three months to one year for the first violation and, if repeated, both penalties will be imposed.
“However, each labourer who is caught working illegally would be slapped with both penalties. The maximum limit of fines will be Dh5 million,” added Major Khider. Source
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