Allow UAE debt prisoners to work to earn their freedom, embassy says

ABU DHABI // Prisoners should be allowed to work so they can repay the debts that put them behind bars, the Indian Embassy has said.

"If they remain in jails they can't do anything and they further lose their capacity to repay," said MK Lokesh, the Indian ambassador.

There are about 1,300 Indians, including 40 women, in UAE jails, the embassy said. "We are thinking about how to help them so they can recover the loans they had taken and repay them," Mr Lokesh said.

The ambassador has met with the attorney general of Dubai Courts, who indicated that the Government was trying to change bankruptcy rules, but it would take time.

"We have taken up the matter with the local authorities and already there is some movement in the Government to make amendments to the bankruptcy laws," Mr Lokesh said. "Our intention is that we can provide some free legal assistance to those in jails. Currently we provide them initial legal assistance."

Mr Lokesh said the embassy had recently heard of several Indians jailed for financial reasons. The mission will use some funds to help them but in some cases the amount involved is up to Dh600,000.

"Sometimes the amount involved in financial cases is very high, and we can't do much with that," Mr Lokesh said. He added that little could be done at embassy level because permission from the local Government was required.

Mr Lokesh said the UAE and India were working on implementing a prisoner swap after official documents were exchaged and an agreement signed last year. There are no Emiratis in India's jails.

anwar@thenational.ae