UAE flags 32,000 visa violations in just six months: ICP crackdown intensifies | World News

UAE officers from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security conducting inspections throughout numerous emirates in early 2025/Representative Image

TL;DR:

In a transparent demonstration of the UAE’s stringent immigration and labour enforcement, authorities recorded greater than 32,000 visa violators in the primary half of 2025. The determine, formally confirmed by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and reported by an area information outlet Khaleej Times, displays the continuing nationwide crackdown on unlawful residents, visa overstays, and unauthorised employment throughout all emirates. The violations got here to mild by means of a whole lot of inspection campaigns, together with a big post-amnesty drive launched after the grace interval for standing rectification ended in late 2024. This wave of enforcement not solely underscores the UAE’s zero-tolerance method in the direction of residency breaches but additionally goals to safeguard the nation’s financial stability, social order, and authorized integrity in a area the place international workforce administration is critically regulated.

Inspection Campaigns and Enforcement Activity

In February alone, the ICP performed 252 coordinated inspection campaigns underneath the banner “Towards a Safer Society.” These operations coated 4,771 institutions, uncovering a number of violations corresponding to residency allow misuse and unauthorised work, resulting in arrests, courtroom referrals, fines, and deportation orders. Energy and property sector companies, in addition to personal residences, have been systematically checked to make sure international staff have been legally employed and appropriately sponsored. The ICP emphasised that non-compliant employers additionally confronted important penalties.

Post-Amnesty Crackdown

Following a four-month amnesty interval (Sept–Dec 2024), the ICP intensified enforcement in January 2025. Over 6,000 violators have been arrested in nationwide campaigns throughout all emirates. According to the ICP’s Director-General, 93% of these arrested had deportation procedures initiated promptly. These efforts have been a part of the “Towards a Safer Society” nationwide safety initiative, aiming to guard public order following the amnesty’s conclusion. Authorities additionally introduced plans to prosecute people and firms discovered violating residency and labour legal guidelines.

Total Violators Recorded in 2025’s First Half

By mid-2025, ICP confirmed that over 32,000 visa violators had been documented. These people included individuals who overstayed, labored illegally or violated their visa situations. ‎This complete determine contains these arrested throughout enforcement campaigns and people recognized by means of administrative monitoring. Many face penalties, deportation orders, or entry bans underneath Federal Law No. 29 of 2021, which governs entry and residency provisions. Under Federal Law No. 29 of 2021, the ICP is empowered to:

Cabinet Resolutions, which implements these provisions, authorize fines of as much as AED 100 ($27) per day for unlawful residence, suspension of guarantor visa privileges, and expedited removing.

Impact on Employers and Residents

Employers discovered to be hiring visa violators could face severe penalties. According to immigration specialists and authorized advisors, penalties can attain as much as AED 1 million ($272,255) per violator, as stipulated underneath Federal Law and Ministry of Labour rules. Consequences for violators embrace administrative detention, deportation, and fines, in addition to potential re-entry bans. This enforcement initiative underscores the significance of strictly adhering to visa, sponsorship, and labour guidelines for people and companies working in the UAE. The UAE’s monitoring and enforcement of residency and labour rules show its dedication to safety, equity, and orderly improvement. Over 32,000 visa violators recorded in the primary half of 2025 highlights the size of ongoing administrative vigilance. Looking ahead, coordinated efforts between the ICP, GDRFA, MOHRE, and judicial our bodies will proceed imposing compliance and making certain authorized transparency in international employment and residency.