'I want to hold my daughter in my arms': Some overstaying expats get outpasses, among first to fly home

When Indian expat Mohammed came to Dubai more than a year ago, he was hoping to make enough money to build a house in his home town. However, a series of circumstances rendered him an illegal in the country. Now, he has an outpass and is flying home on Tuesday to see his daughter who he has never met.

“I cannot tell you how happy I am,” Mohammed said, speaking to Khaleej Times. “I got my outpass on Monday and I booked my ticket for Tuesday. The only thing I want to do is hold my daughter in my arms and smell her. When I left India, my wife was pregnant and now my daughter is one year old. I missed her first steps, her first rolling over, everything. I have only seen her through a screen.”

Mohammed is a beneficiary of the two-month amnesty announced by the UAE government which gives thousands of illegal residents the chance to regularise their status. Currently, those who are staying illegally in the country can choose to leave without any penalties or convert their visa into a residency visa if they are hired.

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Cheated by a friend

After working in Dubai for over 10 years, it was a friend’s offer that made Mohammed return to the UAE. “I had loaned him some money before leaving and he promised to make me a partner in a company he was starting,” he said. “When I first came, I understood that the company was struggling and I went for a job interview. Two days before my visa expired, I was able to find a job but he insisted that I join him and be a part of his company because he knew I wanted to buy land.”

However, the company soon ran into financial troubles and Mohammed had a hefty overstay fine. “I worked tirelessly for the company for over eight months,” he said. “I knew things were not going to plan but I didn’t expect it to be doing so poorly. The hardest part was when my friend blocked my number. He was my childhood friend and I know he had good intentions but things turned out like this. When the amnesty was announced, I felt like a big stone had been removed from my chest.”

Glad to go home

Filipino expat A.C. was working as a waitress in a company when the owner fled the country. “I had only been in the country for a year and I had no idea what to do,” she said. “Initially I stayed with a few friends and did a few odd jobs but I knew I could not sustain it. In August, I applied to the immigration office through a typing centre to have my fines reduced so that I could go home but I didn’t get a reply. A few days later, I heard about the amnesty.”

Since she had all her documents, A.C. was able to get her outpass through an Amer centre on Monday. “I have booked my ticket for Manila on September 14 as I have two weeks to leave,” she said. “I am so grateful that I can go home and see my family. I have not seen them in almost two years. However, before going I am attending job interviews in the hope that I can secure an employment to come back. I am hoping and praying that happens.”

• UAE: Overstayers must apply for visa amnesty in issuing emirate, says authority