An Indian father facing Dh13,000 ($3,500) in visa overstay fines has shared his joy after an Emirati official's social media plea and community support secured him a UAE amnesty campaign reprieve.
Mahipal Gollaguju learnt about the two-month government initiative last week, when friends showed him a video on TikTok explaining the process in a language he understood. A community group in Dubai will pay for the daily wage worker’s flight ticket home to Hyderabad in southern India.
“I’m so happy now, it’s as if God has put his hand on my head,” the 42-year-old told The National.
It’s as if God has put his hand on my head
Indian citizen Mahipal Gollaguju
“I have tears in my eyes, my heart is happy. We saw a TikTok video in which an Emirati said to go to the Amer centre to solve our problems and I did. I will have an air ticket – it’s all amnesty blessings.”
The visa amnesty runs until October 31 and allows people with expired visas to obtain exit passes and leave the country without paying fines or find a job and remain in the country.
‘My dear brothers’: Urdu TikTok videos
This is the lifeline Mr Gollaguju has been praying for, as he can return to his family in India without paying visa overstay penalties. He came to Dubai in December 2022 based on assurances of an agent who said he would earn Dh100 a day doing construction work.
But when he arrived in the UAE, Mr Gollaguju was told he had to find his own job. He survived on money from temporary employment on construction sites, but rarely got sufficient work to earn the Dh450 rent for a bed in a room he shared with eight others.
When Mr Gollaguju’s two-year UAE residency visa expired in January, he remained in the country hoping to pay back a loan of 170,000 rupees ($2,000) he took to come to Dubai.
He had hoped to save money to educate his two children and care for his family, who work as farm labourers.
But with no permanent job in sight and visa fines that climbed to more than Dh13,000, he knew time was running out.
“Some days, I didn’t have enough money to eat, I slept on an empty stomach,” he said. “I could not pay rent, so I lived with a friend.”
The TikTok videos posted by an Emirati official offered him a window to legalise his stay. In short clips, UAE citizen Abdulla Lashkari urges people to apply for amnesty.
“My dear brothers and sisters, there is no need to be scared,” he says in Urdu. “You can come to any of the 86 Amer centres in Dubai and you have two choices – take an [exit pass], leave and all your fines will be forgiven. Or if you find a good company to work for then change your visa and stay here.”
Offering a helping hand
Mr Lashkari, secretary general of the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs, is an online hit with his TikTok videos on labour issues racking up millions of views.
His popularity soared during the Covid-19 pandemic when safety messages he shared amassed more than two million views. His suggestions to seek assistance on workplace complaints drew 5.8 million views.
Mr Lashkari said it was the responsibility of all to support workers who left their families for jobs in the Gulf.
“All I do is give a message – now it’s about amnesty, it could be about his [worker’s] future or about positive thinking,” he said. “When a person goes abroad we need to think what happens to him when he is so far from his family, his village, his people. It is our duty to be a positive part of his life – so he feels there is somebody listening.”
He also makes it clear that those without valid visas should follow the law.
“I explain to them, ‘Brother, become legal, make your status legal,” Mr Lashkari said. “When you go to another country respect its laws because the rules are there to protect you. I tell them not to waste time and it seems people are listening.”
Free ticket home
It was these videos that guided Mr Gollaguju to an Amer centre in Bur Dubai.
He showed his passport and expired Emirates identity card to officials and in less than 30 minutes he obtained an exit pass. This meant he was clear to leave the UAE without fines or a ban on his re-entry.
The Indian consulate often issues warnings to beware of unscrupulous agents and asks workers to get confirmed job offers before leaving for the Gulf.
The Telugu Rasamayi UAE community group learnt about his plight and will pay for the airfare of Mr Gollaguju and more than 50 others who have obtained exit passes.
“The amnesty has changed people lives,” said SV Reddy, the association president. “These men are anxious to go back to India and we play a small part by giving them tickets. It is a big opportunity for people without proper visas to return to their families.”
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Company%20profile
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Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Book%20Details
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Chris%20Jordan%20on%20Sanchit
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The%20Kitchen
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDaniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Kibwe%20Tavares%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKane%20Robinson%2C%20Jedaiah%20Bannerman%2C%20Hope%20Ikpoku%20Jnr%2C%20Fiona%20Marr%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
