The Sri Lankan Consulate in Dubai has made all arrangements to issue outpasses for Sri Lankan nationals who are illegally working in the United Arab Emirates and prefer to go back to Sri Lanka making use of the amnesty being granted by UAE for illegal immigrants. 

The amnesty deadline ends in the first week of February in 27 days time, the Government Informational Department reported.

Out-passes to leave the country is required as almost all the illegal workers do not posses their passports, particularly the domestic workers, drivers and low ranking  categories, since the passports are held by their employers.  However, many companies in the U.A.E return the passports to the passport holders upon making the due registration process with the immigration authorities. 

The Consulate in Dubai said that already about 500 emergency certificates has been issued since the amnesty announcement and these were issued mostly to women working illegally as domestic helpers or cleaners. It said that they are issuing about 30 out-passes each day

The Sri Lankan Consul General in Dubai Mr. Abdul Raheem has said that they expect more people to come towards the end of the amnesty.  He has said that however the number coming in is less than their expectations, and it may be because of there are fewer people staying illegally.  He has said that during the previous amnesty announced in 2007 the consulate issued nearly 4,000 out passes.

It is customary in the United Arab Emirates that after the lapse of the Amnesty period, the Immigration authorities of the country carry out wide search operations to net those still remain in the country illegally, and take action against them as per the Labour Laws of the country.