Throngs of people flock City Centre Diera on February 25, 2023 for the GDRFA visa campaign. AMELDA DANY

GDRFA Dubai campaign for visa overstayers ends early after drawing huge crowds

A Dubai authority campaign for residents and tourists facing visa issues drew huge crowds at the City Centre Deira on Saturday (February 25), forcing organizers to end the event early. Witnesses said that on the opening day, the pop-up event closed before its scheduled time of 1pm due to the unexpected huge crowd. The event was scheduled to run from 10am to 10pm. Later, the General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai announced that it will hold a second phase and a new site location soon. The campaign at City Centre Deira was supposed to run from February 25 to 27. Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of people, some running to get ahead, to avail of the service called “A Homeland for All”. The campaign is aimed at helping those who have issues with their visa, including those who have overstayed their visa or have an expired visa. According to GDRFA “the campaign hopes to encourage a culture of compliance with entry and residence laws.” Lieutenant-Colonel Salem bin Ali, Director of the Client Happiness Department at GDRFA in Dubai, said that people can seek help and discuss their issues directly with the authority. ICA/Expat Media
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