Dubai launches major crackdown on illegal residents

DUBAI: The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai has developed a plan to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country, here on Thursday.

According to the details, Director General of GDRFA Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said that the directorate has finalized several measures to deal with residency applications, apprehend violators of residency laws and arrest infiltrators.

However, Assistant Director General for Prosecution of Violators Colonel Khalifa Ahmed Al Ghaith did not provide any specific details about the plan or its implementation procedures. During a press conference on Wednesday, he revealed that 4,935 illegal residents had been arrested in Dubai since August this year following 181 crackdowns.

Colonel Al Ghaith also noted that there were 91 reports of crimes involving employees, 271 cases against employees working for unauthorized employers, 117 cases of illegal stay, 116 cases of falsification of documents, and 74 cases where employers Refused to release employees to work for other employers.

Additionally, 584 employee desertions were reported, 368 complaints were filed regarding cancellation of resident visas, and 332 complaints related to end-of-service benefits. The Document Scrutiny Center examined 26,384 documents and seized 605 fake passports.

The Directorate also organized 55 training courses in which 745 persons participated. Of the 1,830 disputes reviewed by the Legal Affairs and Grievances Section, 1,522 were resolved.

Major General Al Marri appreciated the efforts of the department staff in tracking law violators and encouraged all sections of the directorate to work collaboratively to ensure delivery of high-quality services.