Abu Dhabi: A woman living in Dubai illegally for over 24 years due to circumstances beyond her control has finally got her residency status regularised without paying any fines.
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai facilitated the process under the ongoing Amnesty period.
Colonel Abdullah Atiq, Deputy Assistant Director for Investigations at the Violators and Foreigners Follow-up Sector at GDRFA Dubai, said, “The Amnesty initiative for violators of residency laws in the UAE has significantly alleviated the legal and psychological burdens of individuals who have spent long years in the country without legal status.”
He said, “One of the cases benefiting from the initiative is a woman who had been living in violation of residency laws for approximately 24 years. Now 40 years old, she faced familial and social challenges that left her in a constant state of anxiety and deprivation. She was unable to pursue education or access regular medical care due to her lack of identification documents or valid residency. Today, she enjoys stability and peace of mind with her husband after the Amnesty helped her regularise her status.”
What actually happened
The 40-year-old woman’s father had passed away when she was younger, leaving her without a sponsor or financial support. Her mother was constrained by her limited resources. Growing up in the UAE, the woman could not renew her residency.
When asked why she had lived in violation of the law for more than 24 years, the woman explained that she was initially unable to renew her passport because it required leaving the UAE and completing renewal procedures in her home country.
Fearing that she could not return to the UAE, a country she deeply cherished, she chose to remain undocumented. Over time, her home country’s regulations changed, allowing her to renew her passport locally. With the support of a man from her nationality who later became her husband, she renewed her passport and waited for an opportunity to regularise her residency status after years of living illegally.
Amnesty as a lifeline
Colonel Atiq described the Amnesty as a “lifeline” for many individuals who have violated residency laws for various reasons. The extension of the Amnesty until the end of the year provides a crucial opportunity for all violators to rectify their status, supported by streamlined procedures and numerous service centres.
The UAE decided to extend the Amnesty after observing significant demand at violators’ adjustment centres during the final days of the initial deadline, which was originally set for October-end. The extension of the grace period now ends on December 31, 2024.
Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director General of ICP, said hat the decision to extend the grace period also coincides with the UAE’s celebration of its 53rd National Day. It reflects the nation’s humanitarian values, as well as its responsiveness to the appeals and aspirations of violators seeking to regularize their status.
