DUBAI (Kashmir English): The UAE government has offered incentives, relaxation in immigration laws, assistance in preparing documents for repatriation, and other facilities to illegal migrants residing in Dubai instead of harsh punishments for violating the law.
According to Gulf News, individuals residing illegally in Dubai have access to facilities within the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai’s Center for Harboring that are generally unimaginable.
The report stated that instead of sending violators of residency laws or illegal residents behind bars, there are residential hostels, medical clinics, recreational areas, and play areas available.
Health facilities, daily meals, personal care, social support, and assistance in obtaining travel documents before the migrants return to their home countries, are provided.
Officials stated that the GDRFA’s message is clear that the enforcement of immigration laws can be done without undermining human dignity.
During a press conference by GDRFA Dubai at the Violators and Foreigners Follow-up Sector, Director General of GDRFA Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri briefed about various facilities and incentives and explained the institution’s humanitarian approach before taking journalists on a tour of the established Center for Harboring.
Individuals residing illegally in Dubai
He said that this center has been built for the purpose of taking care of people while they complete the legal procedures required before returning from the UAE, we are in the UAE and we are taking care of humans, we are not a prison but rather a place where people can rethink their future about what they need to do.
He said that many individuals coming to the center are actually victims of false promises made to them before traveling to the UAE, they were deceived in their own country, this is the biggest issue before us/
“It’s not their fault but unfortunately they encountered the wrong people in their country.”
General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said that the institution is committed to continuously improving its services as he welcomed every suggestion to improve services.
GDRFA data showed that during the first 6 months of 2026, the Center for Harboring provided housing to 11,696 individuals, and during the same period, medical teams conducted their initial medical checkups and arranged 1,906 specialized medical examinations and treatment visits.
