Unhappy with the increasing number of illegal immigrants within the country, the United Arab Emirates is planning to introduce curbs on visit visas for some nationalities, a top Interior Ministry official has said.
"There will be certain restrictions on issuing visit visas to some nationalities to limit the number of illegal immigrants," said Major General Saif Al Shaafar, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Security Affairs.
As most of the illegal immigrants are from Asia, the move is likely to be directed against them, observers said.
As a four-month general amnesty to illegal residents entered its third month, less than 10,000 have left, prompting officials to intensify raids on suspected hideouts and impose stiff punishment for those who provide haven to them.
"We are still in the first stage, but we are trying to issue visas to visitors who will benefit the country. We want tourists who will give a good idea about the UAE. I think these restrictions and tightened laws will put an end to the problem of illegal immigrants," the Gulf News quoted him as saying.
Shaafar said the departure of offenders would pick up towards the end of the amnesty, but he doubted all of them would leave.
Meanwhile, illegal immigrants seeking to return to India crowded the Indian missions in Dubai, but many of them are becoming unsuccessful in getting an outpass as the missions insist on attested identity document from India with affixed photographs.