It’s end of the road for family of illegals

Mohammed bin Osama, who hails from Hyderabad, is a father of three daughters and three sons, all of whom were born in the UAE after he married 46-year-old Indian, Rizwana, in 1984. Rizwana was working as a housemaid for an Arab family in Ras Al Khaimah.

His residence visa expired in 2003 and all his family members are now living illegally in the UAE after their residence visas expired in 2002.

Osama served as an office boy in the UAE Military Services for 21 years in different camps in Ras Al Khaimah, with the last one being Liwabader military camp. His work contract was terminated in 2003. Since then, he has failed to get another permanent job. He, therefore, decided to work illegally in different places so that he could sustain his family here.

According to a senior officer from Mamourah police, Osama was arrested on June 2 this year by the labour inspectors after he was found working in a cafeteria in Ras Al Khaimah city without a labour card. He, however, denied working for the cafeteria claiming that he was just sitting there. He was released on bail after 18 days of detention at Mamourah jail.

He added that he was again jailed in August to undergo his term after the court decided that he was working for the cafeteria without a labour card and his residence visa had already expired.

He was released on Wednesday to seek an exit pass together with his family.

Prasad S., General Secretary of the Indian Association in Ras Al Khaimah, told Khaleej Times that the association received the family of Osama after the police instructed them to make arrangements and process exit passes for all the family members, including Osama, for them to leave the country.

He noted that they received two daughters and three sons with their mother. They included Saeed, 17, Abdullah, 15, Ibrahim, 8, Aminah, 14, and Sahara 11. The eldest daughter, incidentally, was married off to a person who is residing legally in the UAE.

“All the five children and their mother had Indian passports with UAE residence visas that expired in 2002. The passports, too, had expired,” said Prasad.

He stressed none of the children had travelled to India after they got the passports as the Indian Consulate issued them here.

“The mother had only travelled once since she came to the UAE but the father had travelled twice and his last trip to India was in 1995. It is surprising that none of the children speaks Hindi, which is their mother tongue. They speak only Arabic since they have been living among the Arab community and going to Arabic schools,” he added.

Prasad said the Indian Association in Ras Al Khaimah in coordination with the Indian Consulate is processing the exit passes for Osama and all his family members.

“The Indian Association together with the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC) have tried to organise air tickets to India for the family. They are helpless and have not made any savings for all the years spent in the UAE, the man had so many problems here,” he added.

He said that Osama also had a debt of about Dh9,000, which he wanted to pay before leaving the country. He owes this money to the landlord and some supermarkets which gave his family essential commodities on credit while he was in jail.

Prasad, however, noted that the Mamourah Police in cooperation with the Red Crescent Society in Ras Al Khaimah have helped him settle this debt.

Having spent more than half his life in the UAE with all his earnings spent on the family’s upkeep, Mohammed doesn’t know how he will sustain his family in India.

“I have not saved anything for my future and I have no house in India. I don’t know how I am going to survive with my wife and children when we get back home. It is really a very hard moment for me because even the people I have back home are poor and no one can accommodate me with my family,” said a worried Osama.

According to Prasad, the Indian Association in Ras Al Khaimah has spoken to the Indian Consulate in Dubai regarding providing shelter to Osama and his family in India.

He has appealed to the public in the UAE to extend a helping hand to Osama and his family.

For providing assistance, contact 050-3770743 Mohammed bin Osama or contact the Indian Association in Ras Al Khaimah.