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UAE declares amnesty for illegal immigrants By Mridula Krishna, Indo-Asian News Service Dubai, Dec 25 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a long-awaited amnesty for illegal immigrants, including many Indians, permitting them to leave the country without punishments or fines. The amnesty will run January 1-April 30. The official Emirates News Agency said the ministry had extended the deadline to four months to give illegal expatriates enough time to either regularise their residency status or leave. "As part of the ministry of interior's keenness to implement all the immigration laws, and in view of the presence of large numbers of violators of the Residency Law, it has been decided that an amnesty be granted to these violators, provided that they leave the country within a grace period that will start from January 1 until April 30, 2003," the ministry said in a statement. The statement said that the ministry would take action against those who remain in the country at the end of the grace period. Around 300,000 illegal immigrants are expected to leave under the second amnesty to be officially declared since 1996. In 1996, about 200,000 illegal immigrants, including 50,000 Indians, left the country under a six-month long amnesty. Earlier this month, Indian Ambassador K.C. Singh said the embassy was ready to handle the expected rush in emergency certificates, a one-way and one-time passport for people in UAE without authentic documents to travel to India. He had said fewer Indians were expected to avail the amnesty this time. According to George Joseph, Indian consul general in Dubai, around 35,000 Indians staying in UAE without any valid documents are likely to seek amnesty. --Indo-Asian News Service WANT TO check out which mailing lists you could subscribe to? Send a blank email message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ======================================================================== Ongoing: Exhibition of paintings, Art Chamber, Calangute www.goa-art.com Dec 23-Jan 7: Dayanita Singh's photo exhibition, Art House Tel 2276123 Jan 18-19: International kite carnival at Morgim beach, Pernem ========================================================================
