Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI2175
2003-05-05 10:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
UAE EXTENDS AMNESTY
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:22:01 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS TELEGRAM May 05, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2175 - ROUTINE) TAGS: ELAB, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CVIS Captions: None Subject: UAE EXTENDS AMNESTY Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ UNCLAS ABU DHABI 02175 SIPDIS Laser1: INFO: FCS CXABU: ACTION: ECON INFO: P/M AMB DCM POL DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: DCM: RAALBRIGHT DRAFTED: ECON: GARANA CLEARED: ECON: TEWILLIAMS VZCZCADI258 RR RUEHC RUCPDOC RUEHZM RUEHTU DE RUEHAD #2175 1251002 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 051002Z MAY 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9790 INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0508
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002175
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND CONSTANCE SHINN
AMEMBASSY TUNIS HOLD FOR FSI: OLIVER JOHN
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI,
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU,
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON,
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
SUBJECT: UAE EXTENDS AMNESTY
REF: A) ABU DHABI 1634
B) ABU DHABI 1946
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002175
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND CONSTANCE SHINN
AMEMBASSY TUNIS HOLD FOR FSI: OLIVER JOHN
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI,
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU,
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON,
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
SUBJECT: UAE EXTENDS AMNESTY
REF: A) ABU DHABI 1634
B) ABU DHABI 1946
¶1. (U) The UAEG announced that it has extended the
amnesty period for illegal aliens to depart the
country without penalty an additional month. (See ref
A). The four month amnesty period was scheduled to
end on April 30, but officials have given illegal
aliens until May 31 to leave the UAE. The official
Ministry of Interior announcement declared, "Due to a
large increase in illegal entrants applying at
immigration offices to leave the UAE and because of
humanitarian reasons, the cabinet decided to extend
the amnesty by one month until the end of May." Local
press emphasized the humanitarian angle of the
decision, extensively quoting laudatory statements
from diplomats whose nationals are the primary targets
of the amnesty -- Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri
Lankans and Indians.
¶2. (SBU) Comment: Not withstanding any official
statements about the humanitarian nature of the
extension, the amnesty has failed to live up to
expectations and the UAEG had little recourse but to
extend it in the hopes that more illegals would leave
the country. (See ref B). During the original four
month period, only 66,595 illegals applied for amnesty
-- far less than the expected 200,000-250,000. A one-
month extension will have no significant impact on the
overall numbers unless and until the UAE demonstrates
-- as it has yet to do -- that it is serious about
cracking down on illegals. For many illegal
expatriates here, the penalty for being caught outside
the amnesty program is little different from the terms
of the amnesty -- detention, deportation and a ban on
returning to the UAE to work. End comment.
Wahba