GDRFA Dubai officers. Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Twenty-one individuals of various nationalities have been convicted of visa-related crimes in one of Dubai’s largest residency fraud cases, with the Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court slapping a total fine of Dh25.2 million on the accused. The defendants were found guilty of setting up 33 fake companies to illegally sponsor and recruit workers by issuing residence visas, only to shut down the businesses abruptly—leaving hundreds of individuals without legal employment status. The scheme was exposed through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, whose monitoring and inspections revealed that most of the companies operated from non-existent or falsified addresses. These establishments existed solely to exploit the visa system for illegal profit. “The Public Prosecution will continue to work closely with its partners to address any violations of laws governing the entry and residence of foreigners as well as labour regulations in order to preserve the stability of society and the integrity of the labour market,” said Dr. Ali Humaid bin Khatem, Senior Advocate General and Head of the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution. The investigation revealed that 385 residency visas were fraudulently issued using the fake companies. After gathering evidence, the suspects were referred to the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution, which led a rigorous investigation that resulted in a strong case against the accused. Dr. Bin Khatem emphasized that most business licenses were issued using fake addresses, confirming a deliberate plan to bypass UAE residency and labour laws. Authorities reiterated that such violations undermine the legal framework and labour market in the UAE and will continue to be met with firm legal action. ICA/Expat Media
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