More than 180,000 apply under illegal worker amnesty

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Many of the illegal workers that have come forward work in the construction industry.

The number of illegal workers in Dubai who came forward with applications during the amnesty period from June 2 to August 31 has exceeded 180,000, according to the Dubai Naturalization and Residency Administration.

“By August 31, the administration has issued 121,605 out-passes and helped regularise the status of 53,268 illegal workers,” Brigadier Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, director of Dubai Naturalization and Residency Administration, said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, a total of 184,873 illegal workers have come forward in Dubai since the UAE declared a three-month amnesty in June.

Ministry of Labour said there are an estimated 300,000 illegal workers currently living in the UAE. The grace period has offered expatriates a chance to adjust their status or leave the country without facing a penalty.

Since the amnesty was declared in June, embassies and consulates have reported huge numbers of illegal Asian workers - many of whom work in the construction sector - seeking repatriation to their home countries.

The Consulate General of India has received 39,838 applications for emergency certificates as of August 21, around 70% of which are thought to be from construction workers.

India’s Economic Times said last month that around 28,000 Indians have returned home so far under the amnesty.

It has been predicted that the mass departure of thousands of illegal workers will have a negative impact the UAE's construction industry, which is struggling to meet rising labour demands.

However, the Ministry of Labour has said the amnesty period will clear the labour market from illegalities, opening up the jobs market, especially in the construction sector.

The ministry has offered to deal with any shortage of labour by helping with the recruitment of employees.

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