Lawmakers formally call for expat residency cap

EXPAT CAP: The FNC has formally recommended limiting how long certain foreign workers can live in the UAE. (Getty Images)

Lawmakers have called for the controversial plan to cap how long expatriates can live in the Gulf be brought into force in the UAE, according to a report by the Federal National Council (FNC).

The FNC's Interior and Defence Committee has formally recommended new legislation limiting unskilled workers, which make up a large percentage of the UAE's population of over four million, to six year, after which they will have to leave the country, UAE daily The National reported on Thursday.

Under the legislation, labourers, housemaids, farmers and herders would be banned from renewing their work visas after six years and would only be able to return to the UAE by going through the entire visa application process again, according to the newspaper.

The recommendation has been submitted to the government for consideration.

“It is a guideline and it has yet to be discussed officially in the Government,” said Ahmad Shabeeb Al Thaheri, the deputy speaker of the FNC, quoted The National.

Gulf governments have been debating whether to impose restrictions on how long certain expatriates can living in the Gulf for some time as a way to prevent the erosion of local culture and to stem soaring unemployment among nationals.

Gulf states almost entirely dependent on foreign labour to fuel their booming economies and as a result expatriates make up around 40% of the GCC's total population of around 37 million, although the percentage of expatriates in places such as the UAE and Qatar is more than 80%.

However, the proposal to impose a six-year cap on certain expatriates has proved very unpopular among workers and employers throughout the Gulf.

The idea was first announced by Bahrain Labour Minister Majeed Al-Alawi in October last year and was due to be discussed at December's GCC summit. However a decision was postponed and the cap is now set to be discussed at this year's summit in Muscat.

RELATED: Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf

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USER COMMENTS (4 COMMENTS)

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Residency Cap
Posted by Albert, Dubai, UAE on 10 May 2008 at 12:47 UAE time

I fully and completely agree with every line that Lee has posted on the subject on 8th of May.

If the residency cap is a solution to the 'local culture erosion' then the govt. must just not get replacements to the evicted expats otherwise it would be just a joke and not helping the govt. in any way. Why not just live with the devil you know then the unknown. Why go through the process of evicting and then replacing the same numbers with expats again?

Expat residency cap
Posted by Hombil, Muscat, Oman on 8 May 2008 at 17:39 UAE time


Well written Lee. You have hit the nail on the head. You have covered all the issues. Hope common sense would prevail before any drastic decisions are taken.

Expats being removed from the country
Posted by David on 8 May 2008 at 14:06 UAE time


I have seen many articles recently which continue to talk about the government's intention to reduce the amount of expats working and living (note the order of these - it is work not lifestyle that initially brings us here) in the UAE.

This article has finally gotten me to the point where I feel compelled to comment - if the expat population is so unwelcome in the long OR short term then move us out and have the local population look after things. Good luck with that boom that's occurring!

I would also like to dispute the term "unskilled" when referring to the people who build the buildings we live in and care for the children in our lives. Unskilled? If they are so unskilled how could we possibly trust them with such important things...?

In my home country (Australia) the 1950's saw a massive increase in "migrant" workers as we recognised that we did not have the local population to fuel the economic growth required. These quite often "unskilled" labourers (greek, italian, serbian etc) were welcomed with open arms.

20 or 30 years later these families had made their fortunes and were contributing to the economic well being of the country.

In the 80's and 90's "unskilled" members of the Asian communities were again welcomed with open arms to basically do the jobs that AUstralians felt were beneath them. 10 years on some small minded Australians now complain about Asians taking their jobs - this is becasue they work damn hard and don't expect a free ride.

Does any of this sound familiar.....?

As far as cultural erosion? The Asian and European countries I mention have maintained their rich cultural heritage and practices many thousands of miles from their homes.

It is not the expats that erode the culture of a nation - it is the gradual abandonment of a cultural history by it's own young that causes this. The key is to ensure that the the yound understand why the culture is so important and to have them embrace it.

This is what will keep the culture strong - NOT ridding a country of those who ensure the growth of the country is strong and stable.

Expat Residency Cap
Posted by Lee, Dubai, UAE on 8 May 2008 at 12:28 UAE time


It's official! This could be the dumbest idea I have ever heard!!!

What is the reason for kicking out unskilled workers and then asking them to go through the visa process AGAIN? It might be a good way for someone to make some money off the process but besides this I cannot think of a good reason this makes sense.

The article mentions labourers, housemaids, farmers and herders would be banned. Are these jobs which are in HIGH DEMAND by unemployed Emiratis? Of course not!

If these low paid workers are happy with their employers, happy with remaining in Dubai as their currencies have lost value because of the falling dollar, happy with remaining in Dubai as the costs of living goes up every year if not every month, then why would the government want them to leave?

What about families with maids who help around the house and help to raise children. These families are comfortable with these maids and the government expects these families to hire another maid just like that, to bring in to their homes? What threat is a maid from Asia or anywhere else to the culture of the UAE?

And which nationalities are being referred to in the phrase "certain nationalities"? The article mentions job positions but does not state which nationalities may be singled out.

Let's just be honest.....if the government of any GCC country wants to either limit the number of ex-pats from a certain country or prevent their entry all together then it should not be done under some "excuse" that the such a decision is being made "to prevent the erosion of local culture and to stem soaring unemployment among nationals". I just don't believe this is the reason.

Hopefully the decision makers will come to their senses and forget about this....

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