Dubai, United Arab Emirates – As the UAE’s two-month amnesty program ended on October 31, 2024, new rules now tell companies to stop hiring people who have overstayed their visas. Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver, along with Consul General Marford M. Angeles, announced this on Tuesday evening, October 29, as they organized a flight home for 47 more Filipinos. This was the ninth batch since repatriations began last month, with a tenth and final group set to depart soon.
The statement encouraged Filipinos without a visa to return home before the deadline to avoid breaking UAE rules. People who received exit passes from the UAE have up to 14 days to leave. Thanks to the UAE’s amnesty, their fines for overstaying or missing immigration deadlines were cleared, making it easier to go home.
In total, 581 Filipinos from Dubai and the Northern Emirates have been able to return to the Philippines since the amnesty began. UAE officials continue to support those who want to go back without penalties, and the repatriates were given free plane tickets and financial help to make the move easier.
At the airport, Consul General Angeles and a team from the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) helped check-in and immigration go smoothly, ensuring the repatriates felt supported as they prepared to begin new lives back home in the Philippines.
