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UAE to cancel fines for Sudanese passport holders with expired visas
The UAE will waive fines for Sudanese passport holders who overstayed their residence in the Gulf country.
The announcement from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) comes after ongoing fighting in Khartoum trapped civilians in a humanitarian crisis and displaced more than a million.
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The fine exemption, as of April 15, 2023, includes those with expired visas and residency permits or departure deadlines from the UAE.
The Sudanese embassy expressed gratitude to the UAE leadership for their support.
On Friday, an aid ship from the UAE carrying 1,000 tonnes of supplies and food arrived in Port Sudan. The UAE has so far provided more than 540 tonnes of food and medical supplies via 14 flights.
The UAE had also sent nine planes to evacuate nearly 1,000 people from the conflict-ridden country.
Neighboring Saudi Arabia, early in May, announced the extension of Umrah visas for Sudanese pilgrims who are in the Kingdom and unable to return home.
The Kingdom also launched the “Hosting Sudanese Umrah Performers” service on the e-portal of the interior ministry to allow citizens and residents in the Kingdom to host the Sudanese on Umrah visas.
The online service launched allows relatives or friends of the Sudanese on Umrah visas in the Kingdom as well as Saudi citizens to switch the Umrah visa into a visitor’s visa at no cost.
Some 705 people have been killed and at least 5,287 injured, according to the World Health Organization.
Last week, US-Saudi mediated talks between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah made a slight breakthrough after signing an agreement that commits to protecting Sudanese civilians.
The fighting entered its sixth week on Saturday with no end in sight, and the two sides have accused each other of violating multiple ceasefire agreements.
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