DUBAI: More than 6,000 visa violators were arrested in the UAE last month following the end of a four-month amnesty period, a senior official said on Monday.
The large-scale inspections, part of the ‘Towards a Safer Society’ campaign, saw authorities conduct over 270 raids across the country throughout January.
Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director-General of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), said that deportation procedures for 93 percent of those arrested are already underway.
Crackdown on violators
“Inspection campaigns will continue, so we advise the public not to take such violations lightly,” Al Khaili said, stressing that authorities remain vigilant against residency and visa infractions.
He clarified that no additional measures are needed to detect violators or streamline visa renewals, as existing procedures are “already effective and easy to follow.”
The UAE had granted a grace period from September 1 to December 31, 2024, allowing visa violators to either leave the country without penalties or regularise their status by securing new employment.
“This initiative helped many individuals to adjust their residency status before the deadline,” Al Khaili said. “After that, the ICP intensified nationwide inspections to locate remaining violators and take necessary legal actions.”
Strict legal consequences
Brigadier General Saeed Salem Al Shamsi, Acting Director-General of Identity and Foreigners Affairs at ICP, warned that both violators and those who harbour or employ them will face severe penalties.
“The UAE has a zero-tolerance policy for residency violations. Legal measures and fines are imposed on violators, as well as individuals or companies that shelter them,” he said.
Under the Entry and Residence of Foreigners Law, anyone who aids or facilitates illegal residency can face imprisonment and a fine of at least Dh10,000.
Employers hiring individuals outside their sponsorship risk a fine of Dh50,000, while violators caught working for unauthorised employers face detention, deportation, and a permanent ban from re-entering the UAE.
The inspection campaigns were coordinated with relevant government authorities and targeted areas with high concentrations of illegal residents. Officials emphasised that law enforcement operations aim to protect the nation’s social and economic stability while ensuring compliance with residency regulations.
Authorities also reiterated that violations will not be tolerated, with further inspections planned in the coming months.