In a historic judgment, Dubai’s citizenship and Residency Court have convicted 21 persons of various nationalities in a large -scale residency visa fraud case, described as the largest of its kind in the history of Emirates. The court imposed a fine of DH25.2 million on the defendants, who were found guilty of illegally acquiring and selling 385 UAE residence visas through a complex network of fraudulent commercial establishments.
How does the plan operate
According to the official details issued by the authorities, the accused established 33 fake commercial installations, businesses on paper only to get 385 residence visas illegally. These companies were used as fronts to recruit individuals under the pretense of false employment. Once the visa was issued, businesses were quickly closed, left in the legally weak position, to regularize the status of their residence without any effort.“Companies were established to obtain a completely illegal residence visa,” Dr. Ali Hospital, Senior Advocate General and Head of Citizenship and Residency Prosecution said.The case highlights the strategic and deliberate abuse of the Labor and Residences of the United Arab Emirates for benefits, with many commercial licenses obtained using fake addresses. This was clearly a planned attempt to bypass residence and labor rules, confirming the authorities.
Investigation and arrest
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai initially flagged off suspicious activities, due to which Public Prosecution launched a detailed investigation. This included careful monitoring of alleged offices of fake companies, frequent follow-up, and on-ground inspections, all of which were eventually found to be non-existent.Once arrested, the accused was sent for citizenship and residency prosecution, which further investigated. Dr. According to bin Khetem, the prosecutors obtained concrete evidence to support a watertite case, due to which the sentence was sentenced.“Public prosecution will continue to work closely with its partners to address any violations of laws that control the entry and residence of foreigners along with the entry and residence of foreigners to preserve the stability of the public prosecution society and the integrity of the labor market. Bin Khetem said.After the trial, the Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court gave its verdict, convicting all 21 persons and slapped them with a total fine of DH25.21 million.
