US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2175

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UAE EXTENDS AMNESTY

Identifier: 03ABUDHABI2175
Wikileaks: View 03ABUDHABI2175 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abu Dhabi
Created: 2003-05-05 10:02:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
null
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 
 
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 

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