UAE: Why thousands of illegal residents who ignored visa amnesty are now being deported
Experts and social workers told Khaleej Times that false hope, denial, and misinformation led many residents to ignore repeated warnings. Now, these overstayers face detention, blacklisting, and consequences from mounting debts to being barred from returning to the UAE.
'A lot of people had issues, but they didn't take the amnesty seriously,' said Firose Khan, operations manager at Arabian Business Centre. 'Some are still residing without a visa even after being regularised during the amnesty. The government gave them a full four-month window, until December 31, but they stayed beyond that. Now they have accumulated heavy fines.'
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The UAE's recent visa amnesty ran from September 1 to December 31, 2024, and allowed visa violators to either leave without incurring a re-entry ban or to regularise their stay by finding legal employment. Authorities extended the deadline by 60 days due to high demand.
But for many, the amnesty came and went unnoticed or unutilised.
'Some overstayers did try to find jobs but failed. Others didn't even attempt to regularise. It became a habit for them,' said Masiuddin Mohammed, managing director of Superjet Group, which has two Amer centres under the company. 'Now they are being caught and deported. Once you are caught, you will be blacklisted and you won't be able to come back.'
Mohammed said the consequences of residing illegally go far beyond deportation. 'They can't access healthcare. Many have hospital bills and no sponsor. Some have outstanding bank loans or legal cases. When amnesty was available, they had a golden opportunity to reset their lives legally.'
On Tuesday, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) announced that over 32,000 people were apprehended between January and June 2025 for violating residency laws. Around 70 per cent have already been deported, while others are awaiting legal procedures.
'The government is always here to help. Those who go voluntarily and pay their fines may still get a discount and avoid a ban. But if you get caught, it becomes a serious legal problem,' added Mohammed.
Authorities have stated that inspections are being intensified, and those who employ undocumented residents will face penalties as well.
Community leaders also point to another dangerous trend — undocumented domestic workers operating illegally in homes.
'These overstayers think another amnesty will come, so they continue staying illegally,' said Abdullah Kamampalam, a social worker and a member of the Sharjah Indian Association. 'There are housemaids working off the books. And when there is a dispute, residents can't take any legal action as they don't know their real identity or status.'
Kamampalam added that in some cases, theft and abuse go unreported because there is no official record of these workers. 'We urge residents to hire from trusted maid agencies and avoid undocumented workers.'
The UAE has implemented four visa amnesties since 2007, the most recent being the 2024 program. Officials said that they offered all possible support, from grace periods to online and offline application options. But with the programme now closed, residency fines have been reinstated and violators face full legal consequences.
'It's a chance that many have lost and the consequences may last a lifetime,' said Mohammed.
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