A UAE court has fined two individuals Dh600,000 for employing 12 workers illegally. The duo was arrested during inspections conducted in February. The 12 workers were fined Dh1,000 and deported from the country.
This came as the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) revealed it conducted 252 inspections last month to arrest residency law violators. Without specifying how many, the authority said several illegals were arrested as 4,771 establishments were inspected.
Violations included employing workers (whether illegals or legal residents brought by contractors) without a permit and working for a company despite being employed by another.
Major-General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, director-general of the ICP, said the arrested illegals were referred to the authorities concerned for legal action. Based on court rulings, the violators and those employing them have been fined, with some deported.
The officer warned of up to Dh50,000 in fines for employing or housing a worker illegally. The same penalty applies to recruiting workers without giving them jobs and letting them work for other companies. The penalties are multiplied for repeat offences.
Major-General Al Khaili urged companies and individuals to adhere to the residency law when hiring. He advised them to refrain from employing workers without a contract.
In January, the ICP had arrested 6,000 violators of the residency law and deported most of them. This came as the authority intensified inspections after a four-month visa amnesty ended in December. During the grace period from September 1 to December 31 last year, violators were allowed to either leave the country without a ban or secure a new work contract and remain in the UAE legally.
“This initiative helped a significant number of individuals regularise their status following the conclusion of the grace period,” Major-General Suhail said then without specifying how many illegals availed of the amnesty. “The authority intensified its inspection campaigns nationwide to locate remaining violators and enforce necessary legal actions against them.”
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