This is an excerpt from the Gulf Briefing, Al-Monitor's weekly newsletter covering the big stories of the week across the Gulf. To get it directly to your inbox, sign up here.
DUBAI — The labor of migrant workers forms the backbone of Gulf economies. While most hold proper documentation, hundreds of thousands of workers remain in the region long after their work or tourist visas have expired. Fear of deportation forces them to live and work in the shadows, at risk of being arrested. Local authorities routinely deport thousands of migrant workers who lack a valid residence permit.
But this dynamic presents a double-edged sword for Gulf countries, as the deportation of migrant workers causes a loss of some talents that the region is trying to lure, as it forges ahead with economic diversification plans. To address this, the United Arab Emirates has implemented an amnesty scheme to give a second chance to migrant workers who initially failed to comply with residency requirements, namely acquiring a work permit. The UAE launched a two-month visa amnesty campaign on Sept. 1 to assist undocumented migrant workers in rectifying their immigration status without being fined. Only those who did not enter the country illegally are eligible. A similar campaign in 2018 saw 105,000 people resolve their residency issues.
Under the scheme, amnesty seekers who have secured a job will be issued a work visa to remain in the country, while others will be granted an exit permit valid for 14 days to leave the UAE without facing penalties for being in the country illegally.
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