Volunteers says Filipinos overstaying in UAE preyed upon by scammers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Two Filipinos here who have volunteered helping overstaying kababayans with the ongoing government amnesty program, said unscrupulous individuals have allegedly been illegally offering visas for sale to desperate compatriots.

What is worse these scammer are Filipinos preying on fellow Pinoys who know little about the amnesty program.

By law here, work visas are not for sale because only employers can have these processed through government agencies.

Shauna Lirio Chaer, owner of a legal and visa services company, said she learned about these alleged scamming activities from a Facebook group she created. In the Facebook group, overstayers could seek advice about their status or learn how to move forward with their amnesty applications. The page has over 600 members.

Chaer said that if the victims give their consent, she can share their contact details with the police to help the law enforcers go after the alleged scammers.

“Matutuwa ang mga iyon (victims),” she told Rappler. (The victims will be happy.)

Chaer said some of the victims have filed cases against the alleged scammers. Other victims have gone home, but will return here either on visit or employment visas as allowed under the program, to check on the progress of the cases while working or looking for a job, she said. 

Extended

The amnesty’s deadline, initially set on October 31, 2024, has been extended until December 31, 2024. 

The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP), citing “significant engagement” and a “surge in demand” during the final days of the program, announced the extension on the evening of October 31.  

Overstayers, who missed the original deadline, as well as, those victimized by the scammers were relieved by the deadline extension.

The amnesty program, which took effect on September 1, 2024, waives all fines and penalties for overstaying in UAE. It also offers two options: leave UAE with a clean immigration record and return to start again, or stay in the country provided employment has been secured.

Ambassador Alfonso Ver, chief of the Philippine mission in the UAE said majority of those who had come out from hiding to avail of the amnesty have preferred to stay because the program was “very generous.” 

A fine of AED50 for each day overstayed is imposed. Most overstayers have been in hiding for years.

More than 2,000 overstayers have inquired about the program in its first week, according to the Philippine Embassy. More than 800 overstayers, including their children, have been flown home as of November 5, also according to the embassy.

Taken advantage of

Chaer said she has received several messages from overstayers who claimed that alleged scammers have taken off with their payments – ranging from AED1,500 to as high as AED9,000. These payments were supposed to acquire employment visas. The money was what these overstayers have managed to save while working underground, or borrowed from friends.

“Not only 10, but countless people who have spent thousands of dirhams. We have faced difficulties guiding some overstayers because, being illegals and knowing little, they were afraid to come out in the open. They would just rather believe others, who sadly give them wrong information,” Chaer said in a mix of English and Filipino.

She said some alleged scammers operate by opening a Facebook page, posting announcements, then renting a kiosk to make the operation appear legit.  

Advisories

The Philippine Embassy and Consulate General here have posted amnesty procedures and requirements on their official government Facebook pages. Officials have also repeatedly urged overstayers to seek the help the embassy or the consulate general, and transact only with the UAE government at processing centers. 

Overstayers have likewise been advised to ensure they were dealing with a legitimate would-be employers by asking for copies of the offer letter of employment, employment contract and establishment certificate attesting that the company is legal.

Cristy Tan Beja, who, along with husband, JR, has also been assisting Filipino overstayers with the program. She said overstayers should ask for a transaction number to monitor the processing online.

“Most overstayers don’t know that the transaction can be monitored online,” she said.

Beja said she has come across an overstayer, who was allegedly promised a visa for AED9,000. “Pero puro pa-asa lang. (But it was all false hopes),” she said.

Beja said another overstayer approached her saying it had been 15 days since a payment was made but no updates were still available about the employment visa.

There have been reported incidents where overstayers, who exited UAE as required while their papers were being processed, were offloaded at the airport or denied re-entry for insufficient documents. This happened after the overstayers said they have already paid the alleged scammers for a visa.

Temerity

Chaer and Beja said they were taken aback by how the alleged scammers operated, especially the Filipino ones who had the temerity to dupe their kababayans into giving money earned while working underground for years.

“Iba ‘pag scammer talaga. Walang puso. Trabaho lang para sa kanila,” Chaer said. (Scammers have no remorse. For them, it’s just a job.)

“Nasanay na po sila. Ewan ko ba kung paano sila nakakatulog sa gabi knowing ang daming buhay ang nawasak nila,” Beja said. (They have gotten used to it. I don’t know how they could sleep at night knowing how many lives they have destroyed.)

Chaer said some alleged Filipino scammers connive with people of other nationalities.

Volunteerism

Chaer said her company has given legal advice to about 600 people, paid for visas, plane tickets, food and medication, as well as, helped provide jobs through friends who approach her whenever they have vacancies.

“I also used to pay rooms for those who didn’t have money for the rent,” she said.

The Beja couple runs a restaurant and uses part of the sales to pay the overstayers’ processing fees, food, accommodation, even chocolates for those going home.

Beja said they have helped more than 20 overstayers since the program started on September 1, 2024.

A total of 732 overstaying Filipinos have been repatriated so far, according to Philippine authorities here. – Rappler.com

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