There have been a series of school fires in the country in recent years, many of them which have turned out to be arson
africa10 hours ago
Heather Reynolds, Her Majesty’s Consul, hosted the ceremony and explained the concept behind it.
“The ceremony is being conducted for the first time here as the home secretary was very keen to commemorate the people who have been granted citizenship. Since it is a very important day for many people, we wanted to make it more special by hosting a ceremony in their honour,” she explained.
Many of the new citizens from the UAE were granted their citizenship under the British Oversees Citizens Act which grants a special status to citizens from former colonies of the empire.
Jenny Kyle, Passport Officer at the embassy, said that the ceremony will take place on a regular basis at the embassy as the number of applicants in the British Oversees Citizens category has been steadily increasing.
Many new citizens expressed their joy and happiness at the successful processing of their application. Said B. Rayees Kunhi, Territory Manager: “I’m quite pleased with the quick outcome of my application and am feeling on top of the world right now. It has been an immense journey and I’m looking forward to the future ahead.”
Another satisfied applicant was Eshwaran, who said that he was happy to be finally granted British citizenship. “I already hold a British passport but am quite happy today. Although I don’t feel any different, I know that this was a long pending step in my journey,” he said.
The applicants hailed from a diverse range of backgrounds and nationalities from countries such as India, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq. The average processing time for applicants, explained Ms Kyle, was subjective depending on the application.
“Every application is different and it may take somewhere between three to six months for the outcome to be known. After the applicants are given a certificate, they can then apply for their passport,” she said.
A similar ceremony might be planned at the Abu Dhabi embassy as well, said officials.
There have been a series of school fires in the country in recent years, many of them which have turned out to be arson
africa10 hours ago
Salama Alfalacy is into realistic art featuring landscapes and wildlife, while Meera Jamal Al Midfa is setting new grounds in performance art and filmmaking
arts11 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
transport11 hours ago
The storm had already claimed the lives of at least two people in China's Hainan and 16 people in the Philippines
asia12 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
transport12 hours ago
The former all-rounder has returned to cricket during the past year after a horrific car crash at the end of 2022
cricket13 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
emergencies13 hours ago
The country has set a new Guinness World Record by creating the largest falcon hood, beating the previous record of 1.65 metres
uae14 hours ago