U.A.E: Amnesty for illegal immigrants and over-stayers in the country will begin on January 6

Abu Dhabi, Nov. 06: A date has finally been fixed for the long-awaited amnesty, paving the way for illegal immigrants to leave the country without fine or punishment, an official source in the capital revealed yesterday.

"The amnesty for the illegal immigrants and those overstaying in the country will begin on January 6. It will continue for two months to give them enough time to leave the country without any punishment or fine," he said.

He revealed that the date for the amnesty has been fixed to coincide with the Islamic celebrations of Eids and the holy months.

He also said that a mechanism to implement the amnesty has almost been put in place and the date will be announced soon. "Diplomatic missions will be informed once the date is officially announced," he added.

He said that the step has been taken in the national interest security in mind as well as to bring an end to the problem of illegal immigrants and balance the demographic situation.

The amnesty, according to the official, has been decided following reports of an increasing number of people entering the country illegally and staying without residence permits since 1996.

According to unofficial estimates, more than 300,000 illegal immigrants will leave the country under the second amnesty to be declared since 1996.

In 1996, about 200,000 illegal immigrants and over-stayers left the country under the amnesty which continued for six months.

The Afghan Embassy of the former Mujahideen Government also restored the citizenship of 2,000 Afghans who were holding Pakistani passports in 1996.

According to diplomatic missions from the Indian sub-continent, the number of illegal immigrants to be repatriated under the new amnesty is likely to be less than that of 1996.

This is because there is a ban on the recruitment of unskilled workers from the sub-continent and more stringent measures have been adopted to prevent expatriate workers turning into illegal immigrants.

In July this year, Lt. General Dr Mohammed Saeed Al Badi, the Minister of Interior, in an interview with the ministry's monthly bulletin Al Shurta, said the preparations for the amnesty were over and the ministry was waiting for a suitable time to declare it.