Security Checks on Foreign Workers Imminent

It's highly likely that expats seeking to move to Dubai will need to produce a police clearance certificate from their home country in order to be granted their residency visa. 

Security checks on foreign workers is imminent, a minister told the Federal National Council (FNC) recently. 

And while the notion of conducting background security checks on foreign workers was approved in principle last October, we might very well be seeing them implemented soon as new expats move to the country. 

The announcement comes after Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation told the FNC at a recent session. 

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Currently, those moving to Dubai and the UAE do not have to submit their criminal history, and there are over 4.5 million expatriate workers living and working here. But never have background checks been conducted. 

"We expect a Cabinet decision to conduct security checks on all foreign workers will be issued soon," Ghobash said. 

How will this affect me?
If you currently live and work here, there has been no indiciation if this will directly affect you at this time and details of how it will work are not yet known. Most likely, the practice will be implemented for new expats moving to the UAE. 

Nor is it yet known if this will affect residency visa renewals for existing expats residing here. 

At present, Emirati expats are expected to produce a police clearance certificate to move to other countries, for instance Canada, and yet there is no law in place for expatriate workers in the UAE.

Why is it being implemented?
Despite the large volumes of expats currently residing in the UAE, there's currently no way for the government to complete background checks for any past criminal activity. 

SEE ALSO: 20 things you only experience in Dubai

"If a person has committed a crime in [their] home country and the person has a criminal record, there is no way for us to know unless there is security vetting," Hamad Al Rahoumi said, as he questioned the current practices in place for security in the UAE, according to Gulf News. 

What is the Federal National Council (FNC)?
The FNC is the UAE's advisorycouncil, formed in the UAE in 1971 as a permanent component of the country's governing structure. It is comprised of 40 members, with seats allocated for each Emirate in the country. Half of the members are elected, while the other half is appointed by the council.