The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced an amnesty for illegal migrant workers. According to the amnesty plan, illegal migrant workers will have to either leave the country without any penalty or regularise their stay.

The amnesty will provide safe passage to 135,000 illegal workers, the Gulf Times reported. The amnesty plan started from December 4 and will last till February 3. Illegal residents who have overstayed can visit residency departments across the UAE to obtain out passes and leave the country without penalties. They can also regularise their visas after paying a fine.

According to the UAE government, there are 40,000 illegal Indian workers followed by Bangladeshis (35,000), Pakistanis (20,000), and 10,000 citizens from Nepal, Indonesia and Philippines. The amnesty will apply only to those who have overstayed their visit or resident visas in the UAE, and not infiltrators who will be treated as criminals.

Labour sending countries of South Asia — India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — have been supporting migrant workers leave the country using the safe passage. India is offering air tickets, while Pakistan is paying out pass charges. Pakistan has already announced a soft loan of Pakistani Rs 300,000 for returnees. 

Similarly, Bangladesh has been providing air tickets to migrant workers who want to leave UAE. It is also providing support in the legalisation process. The Indian state of Kerala — that largely depends on remittance — has started financial support for their people for their return. 

However, Nepal has not started any programme to encourage illegal migrant citizens to utilise the amnesty. The Nepali embassy in Abu Dhabi has started issuing travel documents to Nepalis who want to utilise the amnesty. 

An official at the Ministry of Labour and Employment admitted that support for migrant workers is necessary but refused to comment on what the government was doing. 

“The ministry does not have any plan to support Nepali workers in the amnesty process. We don’t have a financial support programme either at the destination or at home,” he said. However, he felt the need for such an initiative to encourage citizens to use the safe passage or legalise their stay. 

In the last amnesty in 2007, approximately 3500 Nepalis left UAE. Around 300,000 illegal immigrants left UAE under another amnesty, which ran between January and April 2002. Similarly in 1996, about 200,000 illegal residents left the country under a six-month long amnesty plan.

Published on: 27 December 2012 | The Himalayan Times