UAE declares three month Amnesty for Visa Violators

The UAE will grant a three-month general amnesty to foreign violators of the country’s residency laws starting from August 1, a senior official said on 21^st Thursday .

Brigadier Saeed Rakan Al Rashedi, Acting Director General of Foreigners Affairs and Ports Department at the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, told this amnesty will begin on August 1 and violators will have the option to either rectify their legal status through paying nominal fees, or leave the UAE voluntarily without prosecution.

He added details of the amnesty dubbed “Protect Yourself via Rectifying Your Status” will be announced in a press conference soon.

In 2013, almost 62,000 illegal residents took advantage of the last visa amnesty, which ran for two months.

Al Rashedi said a toll free telephone number will be set up later to answer inquiries from members of the public about the amnesty and how to benefit from its provisions and the time granted to the violators.

On the one-year residence visa for people of war-torn countries, Al Rashedi said the visa will be granted to people of war-torn countries including Syria, Libya and Yemen. “This special visa can also be granted to people who face difficulties moving to their home countries, such as the Palestinians who are stranded because of the closure of crossing points from Egypt.

Al Rashedi said this humanitarian visa will target people who arrived in the country on visit, tourist or employment visas and stranded because of the political turmoil in their countries.

Minors travelling to UAE without parents need their authorisation

Minors aged 18 years and below will not be allowed to travel to the UAE without an authorisation letter from their parents in case they are not travelling with them, as per an advisory issued by Air India. The move, which is effective from June 1, comes following a warning from Dubai Police and other relevant authorities to prevent child trafficking, said the advisory.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners-Dubai (Immigration) notified the same from June 1 to prevent child trafficking, Air India said.

As per the advisory, "The procedure to be followed is that all minors, who are 18 years and below, would need to have an authorisation form filled from their parents with relevant details of their address abroad and in the UAE, and information about who would be receiving them in the UAE (in case they are not travelling with a parent)."

Also, in case the minor is travelling with another family member, an authorisation letter from the parents or the guardians is still required, it said. "Airlines staff can escort the minors through immigration, provided that the form is filled and the process to hand them over to the receiving person is duly followed.

"As a last resort, the minor would indeed be deported if the immigration suspect an illegal activity and the information provided are not sufficient to address that. In which case, the normal process and subsequent fines will apply," the advisory added.

The National Media Council unveils new regulations for electronic media in UAE

The National Media Council unveiled a set of regulations for electronic media, governing all online activities including e-commerce, publishing and selling of print, video and audio material as well as advertising.

The new guidelines apply to news websites, electronic publishing outlets, and on-demand printing, including commercial activities conducted through social media within the UAE, Mansour Al Mansouri, director-general of the National Media Council, told a news conference in Abu Dhabi.

According to the new regulations, social media influencers who promote brands or do e-commerce in the UAE will now have to get a licence from the National Media Council.

The new code of practice, however, does not apply to personal websites and bloggers.

“The regulations seek to help the UAE media sector remain on top of the rapid developments in electronic media, in addition to enriching and organising digital content, and ensuring that media material respects the religious, cultural and social values of the UAE, all the while promoting freedom of expression and constructive dialogue,” Al Mansouri said.

Al Mansouri said the new code of practice provides for balanced and responsible media content that respects the privacy of individuals and protects the public, especially children, from the negative or harmful material.

Media enterprises have three months to ensure their activities fully comply with the new guidelines.

Websites of licensed traditional media such as television, radio, newspapers and magazines are exempt and do not need to secure new licences, Al Mansouri said.

Also exempt are websites of schools, colleges and universities as well as government entities.

Companies registered in free zones shall be subject to the regulation.

Al Mansouri, however, cautioned that all electronic media activities, whether covered by the regulations or not, are necessarily subject to the principles and standards of governing media content in the country.

Al Mansouri said the new guidelines seek to enhance the contribution of electronic media to the wider publishing industry, providing legal protection for the outlets and enhancing their competitiveness, all in an effort to increase advertising spend and spur the sector’s growth as a whole.

The new regulations are part of the NMC’s plan to promote an advanced legislative and regulatory environment for the UAE media sector, keeping it abreast of all technological developments that have transformed media in recent times.

“Today, electronic media has become highly influential and widespread tool; it is imperative that we enhance its reliability. Digital media is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Middle East, especially videos, games and e-books. Regulating this sector will attract new global investments which, in turn, will improve its development and competitiveness,” Al Mansouri said.