UAE visa campaign ends after centre crowded

DUBAI: A campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for support to visitors and residents facing visa issues came to an early end after a huge crowd reached the temporary visa centre.

“The campaign began to witness a large influx of those wishing to participate after the first hours of its launch in Deira City Centre,” a statement from the UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) said.

Organisers are now searching for new venue which will be announced shortly. GDRFA Director General Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said that the campaign had witnessed unprecedented participation. A new venue for the second stage of the campaign will be announced shortly, according to a tweet by the GDRFA.

The UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) created the temporary centre at Dubai’s Deira City Centre where it planned three days of support and invited people to come forward if they had issues or questions about visa status.

The directorate will announce a second phase of the awareness campaign in the near future. The purpose was to educate residents on visa restrictions, provide legal advice, as well as inform people on ways they can stay in the UAE for work.