Police to do spot checks on UAE residency visas

POLICE CHECKS: Residents should carry their visas, or a copy, at all times. (Getty Images)

Police spot checks of residency visas are to increase as part of a UAE government crackdown on illegal immigrants, it was reported on Tuesday.

Residents should carry their visas and labour cards, or copies, at all times as officers will be doing random checks on the streets of the Emirates, the Ministry of the Interior has warned, according to UAE daily The National.

However, there would be no road blocks, said Brig Gen Nasser Al Minhali, the acting director general of the federal Department of Naturalisation and Residency.

“This is not a one-time campaign but a new mission that will be entrusted to each police station to catch those living illegally in the country,“ he said.

“The details will depend on each police station, but officers will be doing these random checks for documents as they patrol the streets. The point is not to disrupt daily life, but to catch those living here illegally,” Al Minhali added.

The strategy, which has seen a number of measure to stop people living int eh country illegally, also sets out a plan to set up more police stations in populated areas Al Minhali said.

Iris scanning has prevented more than 300,000 deportees from re-entering the country under false names, while an amnesty for illegal workers in 2007 helped legalise the status of more than 176,000 workers.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Police to do spot checks on UAE residency visas
Posted by clara, abu dhabi, uae on Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 12:33 UAE time


In fact the use of Emirates ID even for expats overrules the importance of labor card since it appears that both are dong the same function.

What!
Posted by angelo, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 4 March 2009 at 07:41 UAE time


An I.D. card is not for showing purpose - then why call it an IDENTIFICATION CARD AAAAAAHHHHH. Wheres my coffee?

Why emirates ID not mentioned.
Posted by Double Nut, DXB, UAE on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 15:08 UAE time


I have read comments of Nuts, it seems he is really NUTS !! Emirate ID is for fee collection, not for showing purpose !! It will also proves to your folks back at home that, you have been working legally in UAE....

why emirates ID is not mentioned
Posted by Nuts, Abu Dhabi, UAE on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 08:46 UAE time


Only copies of visa or labour card is acceptable? why not the new emirates ID card? The ID card validity is matched by the visa validity and all requisite evidence for the same has already been presented.

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