SHARJAH, 24 November 2004 — There are over 300,000 illegal workers in the UAE and the Ministry of Labor favors absorbing them into the labor market according to needs rather than bringing more people into the country on new employment visas.
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Dr. Ali Abdullah Al Kaabi has said that his ministry intends to further regulate the labor market through a set of new guidelines for changing sponsorships and employment. New employment visas will be issued only on the basis of the actual needs of the market, the minister told the Gulf Today in an interview.
The revelation that there are still 300,000 illegal foreigners in the country meant that a general amnesty offered last year did not have the desired effect. Around 35,000 illegals — nearly half of them Indians — took advantage of the amnesty and left the country last year.
Kaabi’s disclosure meant that many did not make use of the amnesty and opted to continue their illegal stay. Kaabi, who took over the labor portfolio on Nov. 1, said that one of his top priorities was to address the demographic imbalance in the country.
“The labor market problems are closely related to the demographic problem,” the minister said.
“We have facts: The UAE population is set now to touch five million, of whom nationals represent only 16 percent. On the other hand, around 500,000 visas are issued annually. With this in mind, the demographic problem cannot be solved unless visas are issued in accordance with the actual needs of the country,” he explained.
“A second step is related to illegal workers. There are around 300,000 illegal workers in the UAE and this would stir up panic. Hence, it is better to streamline them than recruit more people from outside,” said Kaabi.
However, he added that the country still require foreign labor and such requirements should be rationalized. Under a new decision, foreign workers will be allowed to take up employment with a second employer after having served the first employer for a minimum period of two years and paying double the charges for the labor permit, the minister said. Again, the worker could move to a third employer under a condition that he would continue to work for that employer or leave the country.
Kaabi said he plans to set up a control and quality office at the ministry, which would follow up quality issues to the satisfaction of applicants. The new decisions will be announced soon after a review by a committee made up of ministry officials, and representatives of chambers of commerce and industry and local economic departments, he said.
The decisions, he said, aims at “revitalizing the labor market without harming the supreme interests of the UAE or our national cause as embodied in countering the demographic problem.” Kaabi said a plan devised by the ministry and the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) aimed at facilitating the nationalization of the work force.
He said an acceptable rate of nationalization of the work force was two percent every year accompanied by intense training for Emiratis in various jobs.
