April 4, 2003	Friday	Safar 1, 1424

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DUBAI, April 3: The UAE authorities are firm not to extend the amnesty period for illegal workers despite a slow progress and a poor response. The amnesty period that started on Jan 1 this year will end on April 30.

There are estimates of 250,000 to 300,000 illegal residents in the emirate while only 50,000 have so far approached the immigration authorities to take the amnesty offer and 30,000 of those have already left. The rest are still going through documentation process.

The sources at the immigration office told the local media that 150 to 170 men and women are coming forward every day and are being finger printed and retina scanned. Most of the illegal women are from Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines and Indonesia while most illegal men are from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

According to Pakistan embassy, both its missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have issued outpasses to 8,000 Pakistani nationals who have taken the government offer to leave the emirate without being punished and penalized.

Pakistan embassy has announced April 20 as the last date for issuing outpassses for amnesty seekers, 10 days before the actual deadline. The amnesty seekers without valid travel documents are required to get outpasses from their respective embassies before authorities process their exit from the country.

Pakistani missions have opened special counters in its embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai where outpasses are issued after seeing an old passport or NID card or driving license.

The immigration authorities have already intensified its campaign to flush out illegal workers and massive raids will be carried out on labour camps, farms and residential areas to rid the emirate from illegal residents completely. There will be legal actions and severe penalties for those caught after the amnesty period will end.

All amnesty seekers are retina scanned to identify those who have criminal record or banned to reenter the emirate, as an immigration officer explained to local reporters:

“We are taking their retina scans, which takes only a few seconds. It will help us keep out any one who has been banned to enter the emirates, even he changes his passport or name.”