The Philippine missions in the UAE have cautioned their kababayan (countrymen) against fraudulent websites disseminating false information regarding the impending visa amnesty, set to commence on September 1. The Philippine Embassy has reported receiving distressing accounts of counterfeit text messages and emails directing recipients to phony sites masquerading as the official registration portal for the amnesty.
"The Philippine Embassy strongly advises everyone to exercise caution when entering sensitive or personal information on dubious websites. Ensure that your personal details are only provided to authenticated sites," the mission stated, highlighting that the UAE Government has not yet disclosed the specifics of the two-month visa amnesty program.
"Rest assured, the embassy will maintain coordination with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and relevant agencies. Official advisories and announcements will be communicated to the public as soon as they are available," the Philippine mission further added.
During the previous amnesty in November 2018, Khaleej Times revealed that the Philippine government allocated approximately Dh7.8 million to cover the exit fees (Dh221 each), absconding case removals (Dh521), and airfare costs (Dh1,500) for returning Filipinos. Additionally, each individual (excluding minors) received $100 (Dh365) as a modest welfare assistance.
Smart systems are set to be implemented to streamline the visa amnesty process, as discussed by immigration officials recently. This marks the fourth amnesty program initiated by the UAE government since 2007. The most recent, six years ago, was initially planned for 90 days until October 31, 2018, but was extended by the federal government for an additional two months until December 31, 2018, to accommodate more residency violators.
In 2007, approximately 342,000 residents utilized the two-month amnesty across the UAE, and in 2012/2013, over 60,000 migrants availed themselves of the nationwide service. In 2018, the GDRFA recorded that 105,809 residence visa violators in Dubai applied for amnesty, with millions of dirhams in fines being waived during the five-month scheme that concluded on December 31, 2018.
