UAE authority fines two Dhs600,000 for employing 12 workers illegally

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) announced that a UAE citizen and an Asian national were arrested and referred to the relevant public prosecution on charges of employing 12 workers without the necessary official permission.

The Court ruled that the citizen and the Asian national should pay a joint fine of Dhs600,000, and that the violating workers should pay a fine of Dhs1,000 each to be followed by deportation.

These two had been monitored by the inspection teams who had conducted 252 inspection campaigns across the UAE during February 2025, with the objective of apprehending offenders.

The fundamental aim of this campaign that bears "Together Towards a Safer Society" slogan is to enhance compliance with the extant laws and regulations governing the residence and employment of foreign individuals within the country.

Approximately 4,771 facilities were inspected by the campaigns during the month, and a number of offenders had been apprehended for violating the law on the entry and residence of foreigners and working for third parties without permission from the relevant government authorities.

Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili, Director General of the Authority, asserted the ICP's dedication to the implementation of legal frameworks and the enhancement of compliance among relevant entities with the approved legislation and regulations. This commitment is driven by the objective of safeguarding the security of society and maintaining its stability. Concurrently, the Authority is committed to the preservation of the rights of all individuals and the facilitation of a satisfactory life for those seeking to reside and pursue employment in the UAE within the confines of the established legal framework.

It was highlighted that the Authority has initiated legal proceedings against those found to be in violation of the established regulations. Those who have been found guilty of such violations have been referred to the relevant judicial authorities. Furthermore, the Authority has implemented the rulings issued by the competent judicial authorities, imposing fines on those found to be in violation and on their employers or those providing them with shelter. In addition, the Authority has also deported any individuals deemed to be a threat to the public order by the Public Prosecution.

Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili emphasised that the Foreigners' Entry and Residence Law endows the Authority with the prerogative to undertake inspection campaigns to ensure the law and the decisions issued in its implementation are not violated, and to adhere to the established procedures to apprehend violators and those who employ or provide refuge to them in violation of the law.

It was further noted that the list of violations committed by those apprehended in February 2025 included the employment of foreigners without the requisite permit, whether they were infiltrators or brought in by a contracting party or a guarantor of the foreigner, in violation of the laws and regulations in force in this regard, and those who do not employ foreigners brought to the country to work within a contractual relationship in accordance with the Labor Relations Regulation Law and leave them to work for others, as well as those bound by an employment contract but working for others.

Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili stated that the Foreigners' Entry and Residence Law stipulates a financial penalty of Dhs50,000 for any individual or entity found to be employing, sheltering, or accommodating a foreign national in contravention of the law's provisions. Additionally, the law imposes a financial penalty on any individual or entity that brings a foreign national to work in the country, but fails to employ them or permits them to work for a third party without adhering to the prescribed legal procedures. Furthermore, the magnitude of the financial penalty is increased proportionately with the number of individuals engaging in these contraventions.