Syrian refugees overjoyed  as UAE legalises one-year visa for war-hit expats

Illegal residents in the UAE, who have escaped war in Syria, have expressed joy over a resolution adopted by the UAE Cabinet on Monday that will regularise their status with a one-year residency visa.
According to the resolution, citizens of affected countries will be granted an extendable one-year permit - "regardless of their condition of residence" - from August 1 to October 31 this year. They will also be exempt from any imposed fines.
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Waleed Al Sharif, a Syrian expat in Ajman who has two children living illegally in the country, said gaining a legal status would fix his family's lives. His children moved here with their mother three years ago from Syria after Daesh had taken over their home.
"One child of mine hasn't been going to school because of our illegal status. A lot of things stop when we don't have a legal status - we can't rent a house, we can't buy a SIM card and our kids can't go to school. It becomes very hard to live like a normal person," Al Sharif told Khaleej Times. "When my children get the visa, they will come out of their depressive state and get their lives back to normal."
Another Syrian expat, Yasir Hassan, his wife and three children have been living illegally in Ajman for nearly five years. Hassan's children aged between 12 and 19 years hadn't been going to school due to their illegal status.
He was forced to escape from his hometown in Jarabulus, Syria, after his home was destroyed. After coming to the UAE on a visit visa, Hassan and his family continued to stay on illegally due to their ability to pay off bills. Going back to Syria seemed a dangerous option for them and obtaining a UAE visa was too costly for them.
"If we get the visa, this will completely change the way we are living now. Once we are legal, I can at least get a job, pay rent on time and send my kids to school," he said. "This is good news for me and also for the other people living here illegally, due to their inability to live in their own countries because of the war."
Hail Harouni, another Syrian expat and his wife are also living in the country illegally. They are optimistic that the one-year visa will bring their lives on track.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com