What increase the feeling of optimism for Tess and Avel, both senior citizens hailing from the Philippines, is the fact that through the UAE’s visa amnesty scheme, they have been given a pass to leave the country and have not been made to pay nearly Dh200,000 in overstay penalty fees. Tess The 70-year-old Torre lauded her good fortune saying the amnesty early Christmas present, her birthday is in November 24. Such people as her and her husband were part of hundreds of overstayers at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai’s Al Awir centre who were taking advantage of the two month amnesty program in the UAE to have their illegitimate stay in the country legalised.
The couple has often visited Dubai since 2019 to see their children who have lived in UAE for years. In 2021, Tess’s plans to go back to New Zealand were interrupted by a stroke and COVID-19 that dared her life this year. Their daughter, Marie, who has been living in Dubai for almost 18 years, pointed out that the amnesty programme was beneficial to free them from those hefty fines so that they re-unite in the UAE without having to endure more financial setbacks.
Tess and Avel have every prospect of starting a trading venture in Ras Al Khaimah’s free zone where they wanted to help Marie with an internet business. Avel thanked for their help, noting that now the family does not worry about their safety in the UAE, as everything is surrounded by good clinics and relatives.
On the other hand, the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Migrant Workers Office in Dubai go on extending support to amnesty seekers; they equipped 581 Filipinos overstaying in the country with free air fares and financial assistant. To emphasize it, Philippine Ambassador Alfonso Ver said people should act on it before the amnesty deadline because once it expires, penalties under UAE labor law for firms hiring overstayers are steep.
This story is a great new start for Tess and Avel and echos the UAE’s caring policy in helping expats in distress.
