The UAE’s Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) announced recently that it has extended its ongoing amnesty for irregular migrants until the end of the year.
The amnesty programme, allowing non-citizens with irregular immigration status to regularise their status or depart without penalties, was initially set for two months starting on 1 September 2024.
Local news reported that the extension was granted due to high demand from migrants seeking to regularise their status, as well as to offer more opportunities to those facing legal obstacles or challenges in securing documentation on time.
It is unclear how many migrants have taken advantage of the amnesty program so far. Officials noted a surge in attendance on the last day of the previous deadline, which required doubling the number of immigration officers to manage the demand.
The ICP has announced that it plans to launch extensive campaigns following the new deadline to clamp down on migrants with undocumented status.
The conditions for the amnesty remain largely unchanged. For our previous analysis, see here.
