The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC) and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA – Dubai) has announced that they will assist everyone who comes to the Amnesty centre at Al Aweer to help the expats get home.
Major General Mohammed Al Marri, General Director of the GDRFA-Dubai said that the sponsors who are withholding the passport should bring the passport to the amnesty centre. “If someone came and they said, ‘my passport is with the company or with my sponsor’, we will take care of that and we will send our people to get the passport,” explains Al Marri.
Why is the UAE Government granting amnesty?
Al Marri explains that the amnesty is a humanitarian decision and a gift from the government of the UAE. “The people who overstay, they are not criminals. They are people. Some of them not educated, some of them because of some reason, they are put in in this situation. That’s why we are here to support and to help these people to stand again and start working,” said Al Marri.
The GDRFA also anticipates multiple cases as they understand that each person’s circumstances are different. “The cases which will come to us, I am sure it will be different. Some of the cases, very easy it will finish on the same day, some of the cases a little bit tough, difficult, it will take some days more,” explains Al Marri.
Facilities
The Al Aweer Centre for Amnesty has 19 desks to process the necessary documents for amnesty with a huge waiting area which will also house the representatives from the consulates as well as the translators. There will be two teams for the amnesty – one for men and one for ladies. Al Marri advises all who are heading directly to the Al Aweer centre to bring their passports with them. “Very important, we must have the passport. Those who don’t have the passport will undergo investigation – ‘where is the passport?’ ‘What happened?’ ‘Is it lost?’ as we have to find out. But we promise that everybody who will come here will start a new life,” explains Al Marri.
Al Marri also adds that there will be a health care section to make sure that the amnesty seekers will be given proper care as well. “There will also be a small clinic for them (amnesty seekers) here – these three months just to serve these people and to take care of them. No one should be worried. Whatever they will request will be available here,” explains Al Marri.
The UAE Amnesty period lasts for a period of 3 months, from August 1 to October 31. The UAE has delegated 9 centres for the amnesty which can be found here.
The centres’ operating hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, Sundays to Thursdays. The UAE Government has also prepared a 24/7 toll free number – 800-5111 which will respond to all those who are seeking amnesty.
OFWs seeking to be assisted to return home may also proceed to the following places:
Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Western Regions: Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi
Email: [email protected]
Dubai and the Northern Emirates: Philippine Consulate in Dubai
Email: [email protected]
