Pregnant woman celebrates UAE visa amnesty granting son identity
Pregnant woman commends UAE government decision to give her a son nationality
Mellisa Ndulu Kimani had been overstaying in the UAE for over two years with no way to pay the increasingly high fines.
To Mellisa Ndulu Kimani, a Kenyan expat in Dubai, the difficulties that came about with the UAE visa amnesty policy were nothing short of a miracle that was even capable of saving a child who had not been born.
She was already five months pregnant, haunted by the notion that her son was going to be born without an identity, and had been illegal in the UAE for more than two years, due to her inability to pay the huge fines and also because she was unclear about her prospects.
“There is not a single day when I haven’t lived in fear for the past 2 years. I was always frightened when someone knocked on the door, and going to the clinic was miserable,” explains Melissa. “I had aspirations for my child, as every mother does, but all I could envision was bleakness.”
Overstaying fees of Dh30,000
After many years of overstay, Melissa has accrued overstaying fines of Dh30,000, and it is only a matter of time before she is deported, or worse, her child is born into statelessness. And images flash through of how my baby would be brought to this world without a proper recognition, a concept that was foreign to me. How will the baby have a future if he, or she is born out of this world without any legal papers?”
But the above was magically extended over in the UAE visa amnesty compassion restoration. For that purpose, so that an overstay’s status can change in a painless way and without imposing a liability, this is what Melissa was able to do – and she has her life yet again.
Legalizing her condition
On September 8, Melissa went to the Quality Government Amer Centre located in Dubai Investment Park (DIP), which is a site that she had often passed by but had never had the courage to enter because of her illegal status.
“Walking into that center was the greatest struggle for me as it was my first time ever doing something like that. I didn’t know if they would deny me or if it was possible to mitigate my charges,” she recounted.
“But when I first stepped in, it felt like I was able to once more take a deep gasp of fresh air. The workers were nice, compassionate and helped me fill out the necessary papers without any criticism.”
Right there in that compound, Melissa was granted her visa amnesty and soon after her return on 10th September, she was on his way back to Kenya, with visions of a promising future for her son in her head. “I’m really, really thankful to the UAE government that I received such a gift. I never expected such a thing ever in my life. It is a lifetime opportunity. This time I will go home and have a normal pregnancy.’’
In the previous few months, the new visa amnesty procedure introduced by the UAE has turned out to be a lifeline for many thousands of illegal immigrants. The programme gives an opportunity for those with expired visas to leave the country without any legal actions or fines.
Nightmare of illegality
“...step back and contemplate what I can do to finally break free from such a situation — being illegal. I could not have walked in the streets even, fearing that I would be arrested,” said Melissa, a participant. “But with the introduction of an amnesty, my life apparently has radiance for the first time in ages.”
Her family back home in Kenya had been worried, especially after the news of her pregnancy. “They were so worried about my family. They did not know how I was going to give birth or if I was going to be alive to give birth. But now, they are at peace because they know I am going back home clean.”
“UAE, U.S, Australia and Britain, to me, is not a country, it’s just… It’s my home for all of these years. I am going to introduce this wherein even when I go away, it is in me that I am going to come back. Once you have lived in a place, it becomes part of you. I will come back to the US legally, with my head held high, and I will never ever do anything in my status that is going to jeopardize my status. I will never make use of such an opportunity again…I am very grateful to the UAE for giving me this opportunity,” said Melissa.
About to receive her kid
At this time, Melissa concentrates on her short-term horizon; she is getting ready to meet her son. “I will carry him and he shall already know that there is a name for him, a future and an identity.”
Melissa is only one amongst the many overstayers in the united arabe emirates and therefore the amnesty programme still brings so much hope, healing, second chances to them and it still goes on. The program, which has so far assisted thousands of people, is a clear demonstration of the United Arab Emirates commitment to humanitarian principles indeed.
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