Tess, who turns 70 on November 24, received an early birthday gift from the United Arab Emirates: an exit pass for her and her husband, Avel, after enjoying the visa amnesty program.

“This (birthday gift) is actually worth about Dh200,000, if you calculate the fines we both incurred for overstaying our visas,” said Tess, who asked not to give your last name. Khaleej Schedule Wednesday.

Tess and Avel were among hundreds of overstayers who visited the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) Al Awir Center in Dubai on Wednesday, a day before the end of the two-month amnesty program which started on September 1st.

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As they showed their exit passes, the elderly couple from the Philippines said they had already purchased tickets to leave the UAE on Thursday and return the same day after rectifying their status. “We started applying for an investor visa in the free zone from Ras Al Khaimah, but there is an obligation to leave the country because our last tourist visa was from another emirate,” Avel said.

“No intention to extend length of stay”

Tess and Avel have been traveling in and out of the UAE since 2019 to visit their children who are all long-term residents of Dubai. “We never intended to extend the duration of our visit visa, but I had a stroke in 2021 which prevented me from leaving the country,” Tess said.

“There was still the fear of Covid-19 at that time, and my doctor strongly advised me against traveling,” added Tess, who now has a pacemaker implanted in her body to monitor her heart rate.

“We were aware of the fines imposed for overstaying, but we did not take the risk of allowing our mother to return home,” said Marie, 40, daughter of Tess and Avel, adding: “There is also no ‘home’ to return to in the Philippines because all my brothers and sisters are here in the UAE.

“Last time we checked, each of them racked up almost Dh100,000 in fines. Fortunately, it was also around this time that the UAE announced its amnesty program. We actually applied for amnesty last month, but we had to validate some documents first, which is why we were only able to finalize everything now,” Marie added.

“Thanks for the second chance”

Marie, who has lived in Dubai for almost two decades, said: “This amnesty is the best and most timely gift my mother has received. We did not have to pay a heavy fine and I thank the United Arab Emirates for granting us a second chance live as a complete family in the United Arab Emirates.

“It also helped that the money we were supposed to pay for fines was now used as seed capital to start a trading company. We will mainly sell online,” said Marie, adding that it is her parents who will help her in her business.

Avel added: “We are truly grateful. ChoukranUnited Arab Emirates. We feel safer here because of the excellent health facilities, and all our children and grandchildren are here. We don’t want to live far from them and now we can continue to live legally.

581 Filipinos repatriated

Meanwhile, the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) and the Philippine Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai repatriated on Tuesday 47 Filipinos who overstay who benefited from the amnesty program. This brings the total number of returnees to 581 Filipinos since the start of the amnesty on September 1.

Angel Tesorero

Angel Tesorero is an associate editor and funny guy in the newsroom, but he’s very serious about writing about transportation, labor migration and environmental issues. He is also a food lover.