Issued by the General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs-Dubai
www.manafezdubai.com
Issue 9
Dubai opens world’s largest cruise terminal
January 2015
Smart choice for a smart living GDRFAD’s mobile application enables: Individuals:
• On arrival visa extension. • Dashboard with all entry permits and residency
applications that are in progress, active, expiring soon or have expired. • Generate barcode to enter smart gate at Dubai Airports. • New and renew sponsored residencies (citizens). • New and renew residency (wife & children). • Attaching required documents. New update: • New entry permit for assistant categories (citizens) • Family passport renewal bouquet (citizens). • Renew passport (citizens only). • MYID
Establishments: • • • •
Extending entry permits (tourist visas). Work entry permit renewal. Before arrival – entry permit cancellation. Printing of Ministry of Labor’s permits. New update: • Dashboard with all entry permits & residences overstays and the ones expiring within 30 days.
Other features:
• • • • • •
Payment gateway. Visa inquiry. News and activities. Amer Car services. User guide. Branches with location maps and contact details. • Multimedia section. • Contact Director General
Mobile application is available on all app stores. Search for: GDRFA Dubai or simply scan the QR code
• Toll free: 8005111
Welcome Message
Successful Managerial Lab W e are very proud that the General
Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFADubai) has emerged not only a centre of successful technological experiments but also a hub for managerial excellence. Our experiment to allow five of our female colleagues to work from their homes is a proof of this. The five female staff members conducted more than 131,000 transactions within a short span of five months, between May and December 2014. In fact, this experience has proved that self-monitoring your performance can be far more effective than the external supervision. Some of the beneficiaries of this experiment have doubled their performance levels, from doing 250 transactions to more than 500 a day. This new approach not only addresses the psychological, health and sociological concerns of the employees but also reflects our keenness to encourage our employees to give their best performance, be innovative at work and serve the customers with a positive attitude and sincerity, making Dubai the most desirable place in the world to work and live. I would like to say that such an experiment would not have been possible if we were not living in an era where our government of
excellence uses strong technological infrastructure to enable us turn dreams into reality and words into action. I have no doubt that the benefits of this experiment, which we intend to expand in the future, are not only limited to those directly involved with it but also include the GDRFA and the UAE’s society in general. Women not only form half of our society, they are overseeing the upbringing and safety of our next generations and future leaders.
Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri Director General GDRFA-Dubai
|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 1
GDRFA Message
GDRFA
in History
t
October 1971 Pursuant to an order promulgated by the then Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, two departments were established: Central Immigration Department and Ports and Borders Department
t
October 1972 The two departments were merged with the UAE’s Ministry of Interior and Federal Law No. 17 concerning the naturalization and passports was promulgated.
t
1973 Federal Law No. (6) concerning Immigration and Residency was promulgated as the first law regulating the entry and residency of expatriates in United Arab Emirates.
t
1977 The two departments were merged and the new Department shifted to a building in the ministries complex
t
1982 The Administration shifted to the present building during the tenure of Colonel Mohammad Al-Ghaith
t
2003 The building was completely refurbished during the tenure of Brigadier General Saeed Bin Belaila
t
1999 Naturalization and Residency Administration, Dubai, established a branch at Hatta Fort
t
1995 Jebel Ali Port branch was inaugurated
2 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Our Vision The UAE to become one the safest and most secure countries in the world.
Our Mission To work efficiently and effectively to enhance the quality of life for UAE society through security, transit, rehabilitation, residency services and secure the safety of lives and property.
Our Values Justice t Work with team spirit t Excellence t Good cooperation t t Integrity t Loyalty Social responsibility t
Strategic objectives t Strengthening of security and safety t Ensure readiness and preparedness in disasters and crises t Enhancing public confidence in the effectiveness of the provided services t The optimal use of security information t Secure the provision of all administrative services in accordance with standards of quality, efficiency and transparency
To communicate with GDRFA: Location: Aljaffilya - Bur Dubai PO Box : UAE – Dubai 4333 Email: amer@dnrd.ae Toll Free Number: 04 3139999 - 8005111 Working Hours: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM GDRFA-Dubai http:// www.dnrd.ae Dubai Airport Freezone http://www.dafz.ae Dubai Public Prosecution http://www.dxbpp.gov.ae Dubai Municipality https://www.dm.gov.ae
Department of Economic Development http://www.dubaided.gov.ae Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing http://www.dubaitourism.ae Land and Property Department http://www.dubailand.gov.ae
Contents
GDRFA News GDRFA Photographes by: Abdulrahman Abdullah Sanjeev Kochan
Dubai residents can register free for Smart Gates P7
UAE News Pilot project to hone skills of construction workers
Sharjah opens property market for non-Arab expats
P 22
P 21
Middle East News Oman proposes tax on expat remittances
Expats in Kuwait to face travel ban for unpaid fines
P 24
P 26
Director General
General Supervision Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Suroor Deputy Director General
General Coordinator Captain Khalid Al Rahma Editorial Consultant Ghassan Suleiman Creative Manager Mohammed Al Jarouf Executive Editor Mohammed Abdul Mannan
Strategic Technology Partner of GDRFA-Dubai
Portugal’s Golden Visa investment nears ₏1 billion
P 26 Immigration to Asia:
Honorary President Major General Mohammed Ahmed Almarri
P 24
International News India launches e-visa facility for 43 countries
Monthly newsletter issued by GDRFA-Dubai
Dramatic Growth
Advertise with us Content, Production, Marketing & Advertising Nadd Al Shiba PR and Event Management Phone: + 9714 2566707 Fax: + 9714 2566704 Website
www.naddalshiba.com
info@naddalshiba.com
P 34 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 3
GDRFA News
Dubai to host global conference on the Future of Borders U nder the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, will host an international conference on the Future of Borders from March 11 to March 12, 2015, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Dubai International Financial Centre. The second edition of the conference, through five sessions spanned over two days, will provide valuable insights into future travel trends, enlarged responsibilities of border con-
24 experts from 12 countries to chalk out future road map for borders industry
trol authorities and the challenges they face in handling the huge increase in passengers’ numbers in the coming years. The aim of the conference is to come up with the best formula to achieve a balance between the need to strengtheng the security in the face of growing threats and risks and accelerate travel facilitation while maintaining high quality services provided to travellers. His Excellency Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, General Director of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai 4 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Conference to be held under H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s patronage
(GDRFA-Dubai) which is hosting the conference, said: “The conference will pave the way for all stakeholders to develop not only borders industry, but also the travel and tourism industries and keep the momentum of cooperation and collaboration among all the stakeholders to implement the growth and expansion plans smoothly in line with the changing times.” Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, GDRFA-Dubai, said: “The conference provides an ideal platform to present UAE’s successful borders management experiment and its expertise in harnessing the latest technologies, smart gates, smart travel solutions and biometric devices to accelerate and facilitate travel.”
ference. The speakers include Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, GDRFA-Dubai Deputy Director General, Thani Alzaffin, Director General and Board Member, emaratech, Lieutenant-General Dr. Hans Leijtens, General Director Royal Marechaussee, the Netherlands, Eric Chan Kwok- Ki, Director of Immigration, Hong Kong, Angela Gittens, Director General, Airports Council International, and Gil Arias, Executive Director, FRONTEX, the European agency for Borders Control coordination. emaratech is the exclusive host sponsor of the conference. Nadd Al Shiba PR & Event Management is the official PR agency and content producer for the conference.
The conference’s agenda is focused on sharing information, knowledge and best practices in managing borders control, the role of advanced technology and travel smart solutions and the importance of intensifying international cooperation among all the stakeholders in borders, travel and tourism domains.
The first session will debate about the future and government vision and the second session will deal with the future of border management. The third session will shed light on the future of aviation industry, while the fourth one will highlight the future of airports. The fifth and the final session will reflect on the future of smart solutions.
Over 24 globally-renowned experts from 12 countries and international organizations will take part in the con-
Speakers will provide insights into number important issues including ID thefts, forged documents and the role
GDRFA News
Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA-Dubai
Maj. Gen Mohammed Al Marri: Conference will pave the way for better growth with changing times
of smart gates, e-Passports and biometric devices in enhancing the security and accelerating the travel facilitation. The conference provides an ideal platform for participants to gain insights into the emerging threats, challenges and risks facing the borders industry and share and benefit from best practices in managing the borders effectively through the optimized use of available resources and capabilities. More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the conference, including a large number of Interior ministers, heads of border control authorities, airlines CEOs, airports operators and representatives of international organizations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI).
Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, GDRFA-Dubai
Tasked with regulating the entry and exit of travelers to the United Arab Emirates through land, sea and air routes of the Emirate of Dubai, GDRFA-Dubai immensely contributes to achieving UAE’s Ministry of Interior’s vision of making the UAE one of the safest and most secure countries in the world. GDRFA-Dubai has remained in the forefront of Smart Government initiative and introduced a slew of technology-driven initiatives designed for smooth and seamless facilitation of travelers at airports, sea ports and land crossings. It has to its credit several unique projects like M-visa, smart gates and online services for individuals and corporate entities. It is presently working on implementing the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) in Dubai. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates, the number of air passengers globally will rise to more than four billion by 2017. The Arabian Gulf airports alone will receive about 450 million
Maj. Gen. Obaid bin Suroor: UAE is role model for other countries in successful borders management
passengers by 2020. The number of passengers through Dubai airport will rise to 70 million in 2014 and to more than 100 million by 2020. Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central (DWC) is projected to handle over 200 million people annually next decade. DCAA forecasts aircraft movements for both airports, Dubai International and Al Maktoum International, rising to 665,000 in 2020, bringing in millions of passengers annually. By 2020, as Dubai expects to welcome over 20 million tourists for Expo 2020, it is estimated that Emirates Airlines will fly 70 million passengers, Oxford Economics said. It said overall, Dubai had direct passenger flight connections to 149 cities with populations of over one million people, creating potential export markets of over 916 million people, or 13 per cent of the world’s population. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 5
GDRFA News
GDRFA team participates in ‘Edison’ meetings need to abide by. He said that international cooperation in examining travel documents has played an important role in enhancing international and national security and in building mutual trust among the member states as well as contributing to the accelerating travel procedures so as to enable the border crossing authorities to effectively keep pace with the expected large increase in passenger numbers.
T he UAE, represented by the Gen-
eral Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai), participated in the meetings of ‘Edison’, the international data base system for official travel documents, in Amsterdam recently. The UAE delegation was led by Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor. Members of the delegation included Brig. Khalaf Al Ghaith, Assistant Director General for Investigation and Follow-up of Violators, Captain Khaled Al Rahma, Manager of the Deputy Director General’s office and Michel B.M. Oude Veldhuis, Consultant, Office Document Examination Center. The meeting also discussed the results of the last year’s meeting and recommendations made by different teams looking into the system and approved security procedures related to passports, IDs and other official and personal documents.
6 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
The ‘Edison’ system, established in the 1970s, is based in The Netherlands and the system database contains authenticated versions of all electronic, official documents issued by governments around the world that are used as a reference for passport officers and employees to check the travelers documents. Member states can enter the He added that the UAE is the only documents while other states can Arab country represented at the only view it. system, which also includes US, Canada, Australia and The Nether- The UAE was one of the first counlands as well as the Interpol. tries to establish travel document examination center equipped with He said that the UAE has taken pio- the state-of-the-art equipment to neer steps to customize the system discover forgery in travel docuas per it's needs. He also revealed ments. that the UAE has also recommended that the system be made avail- According to GDRFA statistics, able to passport frontline officers at the center, which is located at the airports in order to enhance secu- Dubai International Airport, has rity and to nab fraudsters. 60 members. During the last 18 months, from January 2013 until The UAE is an authorized Edison August 2014, the center has exmember to train passport officers amined 90,644 passport and travel and employees in the Middle East documents out of which 1,637 docon how to use it and the rules they uments were found to be forged. Major General Obaid said that Edison system aims at providing its member with an internationallyaccepted yardstick against which passports and travel documents, driving licenses and all official documents issued can be verified for security.
GDRFA News
Dubai residents can register free for Smart Gates T he General Directorate of Residen-
cy and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai), in collaboration with emaratech, its strategic technology partner and developer of Smartgates, is providing free registration for Smartgates for Dubai residents. The Directorate has already started to register employees of organisations and their families at its mobile unit in Mirdiff City Centre. To get themselves registered, the residents need to provide their electronically readable passport. The iris and face recognition is completed during the registration process itself. Accessing Smartgates is a quick and simple process that requires generating a barcode, which the users can do using their smartphones. This barcode is readable at the Smartgates. Dubai International Airport has been witnessing a continuous rise in pas-
senger numbers and Smartgates will enrich passenger experience as they enable completion of entire passport control procedures within eight to 12 seconds. This will save passengers from the hassles of standing in long queues and it would also reduce bottlenecks at the Passport Control points. Not only will Smartgates enhance travel experience, their contribution will be significant as Dubai International is all set to become the busiest airport in the world.
“We have a moving kiosk for employees of all Dubai-based organisations we are coordinating with. Employees, especially who travel frequently, will greatly benefit from the facility as they can register themselves free and when they use Smartgates, they will be able to complete passport control procedures within a matter of few seconds, instead of getting into queues for those, when they arrive at the Dubai airport,” he added.
Major Khaled Youssef, Manager of Smart Gate Affairs at GDRFADubai said: “GDRFA-D, in collaboration with its strategic partners, is opening the doors for UAE citizens and expats from all nationalities to register for Smartgates to be able to avail the facility at the airports.”
Thaini Abdullah Zaffin, Director General and Board Member of emartech, a strategic partner of GDRFA, said: “There is real need to spread the culture of Smart travel among the citizens and residents for which we can involve large organizations and the media.”
He said the GDRFA-D has been providing special registration facility for employees of various organisations with a goal to enrich their travel experience.
He said he was proud that Smartgates have been engineered and are being operated by emaratech and were getting very popular among travelers.
|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 7
How to use UAE Smart Gate and speed through passport control in 15 seconds
Free registration at the following locations place
Location
T1 Departure
e-Gate enrollment office
T3 Departure
e-Gate enrollment office
T3 Departure
Economy class counters 1, 2, 3 & 4 Economy class counters 35, 36, 37 & 38 First & business class counters 1, 2, 3&4 Passports Service Center Al-Majlis area
T3 Departure T3 Departure T3 Arrival T3 Departure DNATA EK Al-Jaffliya
Sheikh Zayed road Emirates headquarters General Directorate for Residency & Foreigners Affairs
Smart gates at T3, arrivals
Using your passport
1
Scan your passport's personal details page in the passport reader. Door opens. 8 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
2
Stand still. Look at the camera.
3
when door opens, proceed to the baggage reclaim area
Using your smartphone (barcode is generated by GDRFA mobile application avaiable on app store)
1
Scan your passport's personal details page in the passport reader. Door opens.
2
Stand still. Look at the camera.
3
when door opens, proceed to the baggage reclaim area
Using Emirates ID Card
1 Scan your ID Card. Door opens
1
scan your UAE e-Gate card. Door opens.
2
Scan the finger appearing on the screen
2
Scan the finger appearing on the screen
3
when door opens, proceed to the baggage reclaim area
3
when door opens, proceed to the baggage reclaim area |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 9
GDRFA News
emaratech: Host Sponsor for Future of Borders conference e maratech has announced its full sup-
port for the future of borders conference organized by General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs. The two-day conference is being held on 11 and 12 March 2015 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, DIFC in Dubai under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. The unique knowledge sharing platform is designed for the decisionmakers and senior professionals of border control industry, travellers’ facilitation services, airlines and airport
operators and technology providers. The event will look at the future of border control, offering a deeper and richer learning experience and will be an ideal knowledge-and-expertise sharing platform to gain insights to how technological revolutions will transform the travel experience in the future.
at the airports and other border crossing points”.
Thani Alzaffin, Director General and Board Member of emaratech said that the conference serves as the perfect platform to benefit all industry stakeholders. Alzaffin expressed confidence that “the conference will work towards devising a future roadmap for the borders management industry globally, thereby ensuring seamless travel experiences for the passengers
“We will all benefit from the conference debate and deliberations. It is vital for all of us to gain and share insights into how technological revolutions will transform the travel experience in the future”, Alzaffin concluded.
“The immense knowledge and success stories that emaratech has engineered in the border access and control systems as well as the “intelligent travel” solutions will be the highlight of the conference”.
For more information, visit: http://www.futureofborders.ae/
emartech is Gold Sponsor of Youth Games T hani Alzaffin, Director General and
Board Member, emaratech, has announced that emaratech will sponsor all sports, especially football, at the Al Shabab Club for two years. The announcement came during a celebration that was attended by Sami Al Qamzi, Chairman of the club and the head of Football Company for the club. Alzaffin said players’ uniforms will bear emaratech’s logo and the company will also provide complete support to the media center as well as other facilities like computers, modern electronic systems and equipment needed for digital advertisements at the club premises.
10 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
emartech is a pioneer company in the field of information technology, elec-
tronic solutions and smart applications in the Middle East.
Our
Message
History has proved us right B e it east or west, north or south,
dealing with illegal immigrants has become a major area of concern not only for political decision-makers, but also for common man in both the developed world and the developing nations. Infact, for many decades, dealing with the illegal workers throughout the world was a captive of romantic thinking and philosophical theories that did not take into account the practical issues which could arise and opened us to the possible dangers of leaving the door open without a check in place. We tried to convince such thinkers and policy makers and told them to be farsighted in their approach in dealing with the large number of migrants, take into account quantity as well as quality perspective and consider that the migrant population should not become a burden on their financial resources and infrastructure and that they need to strike a critical balance between the benefits to the nation and the contribution of migrants.
sustain and, at the same time, it gives the flexibility to respond to changes in the economy, advancement in technology and changing demographic composition. We are well aware that the movement of labour across the borders can have many benefits, not only for the countries that provide employment to workers but also the ones which sends them. We also fully understand that managing a large number of people across borders can turn into total chaos unless we apply proper guidelines and are able to get the best results.
However, our advice fell on deaf ears and they chose to hit the wall and suffer the result of their actions. It is no secret that the world leaders have now started to realize that the model applied by the Arabian Gulf states to open their doors to a temporary employment is the best approach because it has the ability to
Major General Obaid Moheir bin Suroor Deputy Director General GDRFA-Dubai
|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 11
Cover Story
Named after the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has a capacity to handle 14,000 passengers a day.
Dubai opens world’s largest cruise terminal O fficially opened in December 2014, DP World’s ultra-modern third cruise terminal will help the emirate achieve its goal of welcoming 20 million tourists, including one million cruise tourists, by the year 2020.
12 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Cover Story
GDRFA well-prepared to handle cruise tourist influx Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai), said the GDRFA is well prepared to deal with the increase in number of cruise tourists expected due to the expansion of cruise tourism infrastructure in Dubai and the introduction of new cruise visas. The directorate, he said, has been coordinating with the strategic partners to provide cruise tourism sector with the highest possible level of services in line with the vision and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, about all government entities working together as a team. Al Marri said the GDRFA, in cooperation with DTCM, organizes regular meetings with tourism companies and cruise operators to review the market trends and demands. He said all sections within the GDRFA have been instructed to provide full support to the tourism sector through facilitating visas, streamlining procedures and ensuring pleas-
The terminal is not only grand in terms of infrastructure and facilities, but also holds strong green credentials. Over 75 per cent of the building structure was reused from a steel structure sourced from demolished warehouses during the building of Jebel Ali’s new container terminal, which opened for business recently. The terminal was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai
ant and memorable stay of tourists in the UAE. He explained that facilities provided by the GDRFA to tourism companies and cruise liners include multiple-entry visas for cruise travellers, extended working hours at the GDRFA-Dubai external customer centres on holidays and other occasions. He said that a number of new smart and electronic services are in the pipeline that will benefit the cruise industry tremendously.
Executive Council, who was welcomed to the new cruise terminal by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World, His Excellency Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, Mohammed Sharaf, Group CEO, Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, and other senior officials. Spread across 28,000 square metres, the new terminal is the latest addition to the Dubai Cruise Terminal facility at
Mina Rashid. With its opening, the handling capacity of Dubai’s cruise terminals has gone up from two million to seven million a year. Sultan bin Sulayem said: “The new building will increase the handling capacity of the three cruise terminals in Dubai from two million tourists a year to seven million. The terminal is the largest and most modern cruise facility in the Middle East and the wider region, enabling award winning Mina Rashid to now serve up to sev|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 13
Cover Story
Industry expects massive business growth
Ghassan Aridi
Ghassan Aridi, CEO, Alpha Tours, a leading destination management company in the GCC, told Manafez: “We expect the new facility to result in business growth for us.” “The government has already introduced a multiple entry visa system for cruise tourists and in conjunction with the opening of the new terminal, we expect cruise tourism to get a major boost,” he said. “Dubai is already among the top destinations for tourists and the new terminal will further enhance its position. We now have a bigger capacity to welcome 14,000 more passengers every day which will greatly benefit business for cruise operators. It puts us on a stronger position compared to other destinations.” He said opening of the new terminal will contribute greatly to Dubai’s plan of increasing its cruise tourists to one million by 2020. 14 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Osama Bushra
Osama Bushra, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Travco, said the new facility will lead cruise operators to focus more on Dubai as a cruise destination. He also said that the new terminal, which extends over 28,000 square metres, is considered to be the biggest not only in the Middle East but across the entire world. Noting that the new facility will enable Dubai to welcome an extra 14,000 tourists daily and enable it to handle two ships simultaneously, he said it will g give it a competitive edge over other cruise destinations. The facilities will enable cruise operators to organize trips with giant ships that can carry more tourists and to link two or more destinations at the same time, he added.He noted the new facility has very advanced facilities like duty-free outlets, shops, currency exchange, ATM machines and a VIP business center apart from office facilities for government entities like customs, police, immigration and airliners.
en cruise vessels at one time and more than 25,000 passengers in its three cruise terminals. This expansion came in response to requests from cruiseliners and will enable them to increase the number of their trips to Dubai.” He added: “The new terminal will also strengthen Dubai’s position as a global city and the premier cruise hub in the Middle East. Our investment in expanding cruise handling capacity and building this facility at Mina Rashid aims to position the city as a leading tourist destination. It also supports growth in the tourism sector and the emirate’s economy by making Dubai a base for cruise tours visiting other ports in the UAE and the Gulf, the Maldives and as far as Mumbai, India.”
Industry welcomes opening
Key regional tourism industry players have welcomed the opening of the new cruise terminal and said they expect business to grow significantly as a result in the coming period.
Green Credentials
The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has strong green credentials, having been built using re-cycled materials from Jebel Ali, including the steel structure, interlocking bricks, and shipping wood pellets for interior finishing. It features include a Green Wall Shade System to re-
Cover Story
customs and handling facilities with streamlined immigration and entry procedures coordinated by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Features include duty-free outlets, shops, currency exchange, ATM machines and a VIP business centre. It also provides office facilities to related organisations including the police, customs, immigration, shipping agents and airlines.A 70,000 square metre car park can also accommodate 36 buses and 150 taxis in addition to private cars and parking bays for employees and visitors. duce solar ingress, controlled LED and daylight illumination, landscaping and irrigation supply. It also provides bicycle and electric car parking with charging stations. The building is eco-friendly and sustainable in line with Dubai’s green building initiative.
Over 75 per cent of the building structure was reused from a steel structure sourced from demolished warehouses during the building of Jebel Ali’s new container terminal, which recently opens for business.
World class services
The new terminal offers visitors world class services and efficient
Mina Rashid has been voted the Leading Cruise Port at the World Travel Awards for seven years in a row. The port also handles ferry passengers between Dubai and port cities across the Arabian Gulf handled at Mina Rashid Ferry Terminal. Bin Sulayem said that developing tourism infrastructure in Dubai is a priority. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 15
“The Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation is keen to support Dubai’s economic growth and to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to diversify the economy and support the development of a range of economic sectors including trade and tourism.” During the visit, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan met Emirati employees and viewed a range
of demonstrations charting the development of the port since 1967. On the inaugural day, DP World welcomed 4,000 passengers at the new terminal from the Costa Cruise and Aida Cruise ships as part of Arabian Gulf tours. The operation to welcome the passengers involved close coordination with Dubai Police, the General Directorate Dubai Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai), Roads and
Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Customs. Bin Sulayem said: “It is a great honour to name our luxury cruise facility after HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, in appreciation of his vital role in preserving the legacy of Dubai and our nation’s heritage in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai and the UAE a centre for tourism.” The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has been promoting the cruise tourism since the past one decade. The establishment of the first cruise terminal in Dubai in 2001 and the opening of the enhanced New Dubai Cruise Terminal in February 2010 with higher handling capacity drew the attention of cruise line operators around the world.
16 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
The visa options aim to make travel between the UAE and nearby countries easier for travellers who need to make multiple stops whether by air, land or sea
These milestones in the history of cruise tourism made it possible for Dubai to pioneer in the region and continue to serve as a home port for two leading European cruise liners, Costa & Aida Cruises (since 2006) and Royal Caribbean International from 2010. TUI Cruises was added to the portfolio when it commenced its operation from the 2012/13 season. Most of the world’s leading cruise liners have now Dubai in their itinerary on their international and world cruise itinerary. In March 2014, the world’s largest cruise line company announced plans to return to the Gulf in winter 2015-16 after pulling out of the region last year. Royal Caribbean International said it will operate 16 roundtrip sailings from December 2015 through to March 2016. According to DTCM officials, cruise tourism’s contribution to Dubai’s economy between 2010 and 2015 was estimated to be around AED3.5 billion, as per an independent study. In November 2014 alone, Mina Rashid welcomed 11 cruise ship calls carrying more than 39,954 passengers and crew, with nine of the 11 vessels staying overnight in Dubai.
Dubai’s cruise season, which runs from October through to June, will see a total of 110 cruise ship calls carrying more than 381,000 passengers arriving in the city. Passenger numbers are set to rise by 19 per cent on the 2013-2014 season, meaning an additional 60,000 sea-travellers will embark, disembark or transit at Mina Rashid,” DTCM said in a statement. According to the officials the emirate’s cruise sector will be transformed by a new law for multiple entry visas for cruise tourists. A new ruling in the UAE which took effect on August 1, 2014, includes a new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passengers. The visa options aim to make travel between the UAE and nearby countries easier for travellers who need to make multiple stops whether by air,
land or sea. The new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passenger costs AED200 ($54). Dubai Cruise Tourism, part of Dubai Tourism, was in China in the first week of December 2014, to promote the emirate’s strengths as a cruise tourism destination in the Chinese outbound tourism markets. Dubai Tourism, with four overseas offices in China, has worked closely with China’s travel trade to attract tourists to Dubai, but this is the first time that the Dubai Cruise Tourism team has undertaken a dedicated roadshow to promote Dubai’s strength as the Middle East’s leading cruise destination. The number of Chinese cruise passengers who travel overseas has increased from 160,000 to 660,000 in the last six years, representing a significant growth in demand for cruise travel, and Dubai aims to be part of this growth, Hamad bin Mejrin, Executive Director, Dubai Tourism, said. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 17
GDRFRA Interview
Khloud Al Muhairi, Head of Hawa’a Committee, GDRFA-Dubai:
33 per cent of GDRFA employees are women T he ‘Hawa’a Committee’ has been relentlessly working towards improving the lives and work performance of women and helping bring the best out of them.
Khloud Al Muhairi, Head of the Hawa’a Committee at General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai), said the activities of the committee to empower female employees in GDRFA in different walks of life have contributed strongly in enhancing their productivity, bringing professional satisfaction and strengthening their family bonds. In an exclusive interview with Manafez Dubai, she said the GDRFA-Dubai tops the list of government departments when it comes to recruiting a high number of female employees and providing the best work environment for them to achieve balance between their duties and their family commitments. During her tenure, Khloud has been instrumental in launching various initiatives targeting different sectors to enhance the role of GDRFA as well as demonstrated how focusing on community values and human aspect can lead to sustainable development in organizations. 18 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Excerpts:
When was the Hawa’a committee established and what are its goals?
Hawa’a Committee was established in 2010 as per the directives of Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA-Dubai, to help the authority’s women employees effectively manage various aspects of life by suggesting them ways to create a balance between job requirements and family commitments.
workers enough time to carry out their commitments toward their families is very rational as it is illogical to ask them to continue working without providing them with the right environment. This allows them to be efficient employees and, at the same time, instrumental in taking care of the future generations. The role of the Committee extends beyond encouraging a competitive spirit to strengthening and refining their skills locally and at an international level.
What are the activities and Establishing the Committee has tasks carried out by the been highly useful given the fact Committee to help women that the GDRFA has more than workers? 1,300 women employees out of a total of 4,000 workforce. This is almost 33 per cent of the total workforce and makes GDRFA the largest government recruiter for women in Dubai. It is female employees who manage most of transaction in the GDRFA’s headquarter halls and at GDRFA external centres, where they work in shifts. I would like to say that the GDRFA’s philosophy to give women
From organizing meetings, field visits to listening to women, understanding their point of views, giving them suggestions and helping them resolve problems, if any, and, reporting to the GDRFA management about proposed solutions, are among a couple of activities of the Hawa’a committee. Although the Hawa’a Committee has only four members, we rely a lot on a team of volunteers who
GDRFRA Interview
contribute toward organizing a wide range of activities and tasks. The activities we carry out are quite important given the fact that majority women employees in the GDRFA-Dubai are married and have children. They shoulder high responsibilities as a result. Our goal is to provide them with a positive environment that can help them create a work-life balance. If they are not provided with such a supportive environment, their performance will deteriorate, they could encounter problems in their family lives, both of which are a big loss. The meetings, for example, contribute greatly towards motivating them, creating a positive and stimulating work environment, which increases their loyalty to the organization, enhances worksatisfaction and productivity and, in turn, results in them contributing to achieving GDRFA’s vision and mission.
Hawa’a Committee helping women create work & life balance, encourages entrepreneurship
Another area where we extend help is organizing mass marriages for women. We have already done it twice. The last event included 40 females. Hawa’a Committee is keen that women start their own enterprises, we encourage creative entrepreneurship. We organize cultural and sports activities and summer camps for their children. In some cases, the committee has even helped find jobs for their children by coordinating other government bodies.
What are the future projects of the Hawa’a Committee?
Hawa’a Committee is considering a project to establish a nursery for the children of female employees. The idea for the project came
during a GDRFA survey in which most of the female workers expressed their interest in having an nursery within GDRFA for their children. We learnt that one of the main reasons they get late for work was that they needed to drive their kids to school and then come to offices. More than 2,000 children will benefit from the nursery project, we have found through our surveys. This is sufficient to justify the economic feasibility of the project, especially in light of Dubai government’s instructions that every government body with more than 50 female workers should have a nursery. Currently we are in the process of selecting the best location for the nursery because the female workers are working at different locations and in order to maximize the benefits, we need to choose the right place that will be convenient to everyone.
The committee is not limited to solving work-related problems. We also help women employees, particularly widowed and divorced, share family problems to work out a solution. Ensuring psychological well-being of women, especially as they get older, is among our priorities. We have a family counsellor and a health counsellor and we also organize regular lectures to create awareness about psychological and health problems. We even encourage them to participate in the awards and competitions such as Sheikha Hind and Sheikha Fatima Awards. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 19
UAE News
Under the patronage of
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
UAE expats plan to save more N ational Bonds Corporation (NBC)
President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group
While 22 per cent of the respondents admitted they were able to save a little more than last year, 31 per cent said they saved nearly the same amount.
According to the survey, house rent and utility are the main expenses for majority UAE residents. Over 54 per cent people listed inflation and high costs of living as key factors that impact their current annual savings plan, while 48 per cent state unexpected expenses as the primary reason.Nearly half of the residents have loans, while a majority are paying out one or two loans.
mained the top reason for most residents to save, increased house rents affected savings. As many as 40 per cent of credit card users said their credit card expenses went up in the last 12 months.Around 87 per cent respondents expect their financial status to remain the same or become stable in the next six months, an increase of about three per cent compared to 2013, the survey said.
The 2014 Savings Index, which tracked saving and spending habits of residents in the UAE, was conducted among Emiratis, as well as Arab, Western and Asian expatriates.
Westerners and Emiratis in the UAE showed maximum positive sentiment across nationalities with 38 per cent and 34 per cent respectively stating it is a good time to save.While financial security re-
Among the low-income category, 36 per cent of those polled in the UAE said they were saving and 55 per cent of those said they were saving less than 10 per cent of their income.
2014 savings index for the UAE has revealed that 62 per cent of expatriates plan to increase their savings in the next six months.
SMART SOLUTIONS for BORDER CONTROL Fines relaxation for & FUTURE TRAVEL labour offences
C ompanies and employers who have accumulated fines for labour offences now get a chance to clear their records by paying AED1,000 per employee.
The Ministry of Labour has given a six-month period, starting January 4, 2015, to the violators to clear their fines for labour card offences. The amnesty will last until June 30. This implies that all fines, irrespective of the amount, will be reduced to AED1,000 per employee. According to media reports, the federal government will scrap over AED2.7 billion from these unpaid fines. “Electronic labour card offences have all been dropped to AED 1, 000 only per employee,” Humaid Bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary of Labour For Sponsorship & Exhibition Contact: Affairs at the ministry.“The deadline includes electronic labourLee cards that have not been issued or renewed Victoria until the end of this current month, which amount to
Email: victoria.lee@emirates.com +971 42015 3034746 20 Telephone: |Manafez Dubai |January |
100,000 cards from 40,000 facilities, marking 13 per cent of the total registered facilities in the ministry,” Al Suwaidi told The National. About 100,000 workers in the UAE had problems with their labour cards. Of those, 95,000 did not have their cards renewed or cancelled after the two-year period, with the other 5,000 failing to apply for labour cards when entering the country, not cancelling work permits or not reporting lost cards. Fines that have not been paid after June 30 will be charged
an extra AED500 a month, down from AED1,000. www.futureofborders.ae
futureborders@emirates.com
UAE News
Pilot project to hone skills of construction workers A new pilot project has been launched
to train and test the skills of 2500 construction sector workers before they enter the UAE, according to the UAE Ministry of Labour, stated Wam, UAE’s official news agency. Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour, said: “The project comes as a pursuit by the Ministry of Labour towards obtaining future labour market goals through cooperation and partnership with concerned government agencies and facilities from the private sector, as well as universities and research centres, to move towards the development of the national economy through cognitive development of the construction sector in the country to elevate the labourers and empower factors which increase their productivity and help them find decent work opportunities when they return home.”
The 2,500 workers will be recruited randomly from major labour-sending countries mainly India, Pakistan and the Philippines, to work for national enterprises in the construction sector. While they will be provided with professional training in their own countries, they will also be tested for qualifying expertise to fill certain occupations before arriving to the UAE that of course will be in accordance with professional
standards that have been developed by Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council and the National Qualifications Authority.The project will take about two years to conclude, where the Ministry of Labour through the project’s outcomes and recommendations will develop employment policies and freely move between job with flexibility, plus improve the skills list in the country which is part of the government’s development vision in 2021.
Dubai hosts mega FAM trip D ubai welcomed the largest ever tour-
ism industry Mega FAM trip comprising travel operators, wedding planners, MICE operators, niche segment specialists and media experts representing 16 cities across In-
dia from 6-9 December 2014. Hosted by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the Mega FAM which included 440 representatives of the travel industry partners, aimed to provide Dubai’s
Indian trade partners with a firsthand experience of all that Dubai has to offer as a business and leisure destination. “This FAM trip was a huge success. India is one of our key source markets. In fact in the first six months of 2014, India was our second top source market and saw tremendous growth. FAM trips such as this are a great way to ensure our partners in the market remains up to date with everything going on in Dubai,” said Issam Kazim, CEO of DCTCM. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 21
UAE News
Sharjah opens property market for non-Arab expats F or the first time, Sharjah is opening its residential property market for investments by non-Arab expats.
According to Khaleej Times, nonArab expatriates holding a valid UAE visa are now allowed to purchase residential plots in Sharjah on 100-year leasehold at a newly launched masterdevelopment in the emirate. Tilal City, a new mixed-use development in Sharjah, is also offering freehold purchase rights to GCC nationals and Arab nationals with a valid UAE resident visa. For Sharjah’s real estate sector, the new project, located on Emirates Road, marks a new milestone as until now, only UAE and GCC nationals were allowed to acquire plots and
properties in the emirate, said the report.“This significant increase is a result of strong tenant demand and a lack of available stock. Looking forward, we forecast that rents will continue to rise as a result of tenant demand, due to the diversification of
Sharjah’s economy, reverse migration from Dubai and international companies present in the UAE targeting Sharjah for staff housing requirements,” the newspaper quoted Steve Morgan, Chief Executive, Cluttons Middle East, as saying.
UAE employment market thriving UAE employment market continT he ues to thrive and demand for special-
ist occupations far outweighs supply,
resulting in talent shortages across the region, according to the Robert Half 2015 Salary Guide.
Despite challenges recruiting staff, salaries for professional roles in finance and accounting, financial services, information technology, legal, HR and administration rose on average by two percent over the past 12 months, it said. Compounding hiring challenges is stronger employment prospects in the UK and US resulting in fewer expatriates to the region, Robert Half said. The Robert Half 2015 Salary Guide said accounting and finance recruitment in the UAE has returned to prerecessionary levels, with companies expanding existing teams as well as investing in new initiatives.
22 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
UAE News
Happy New Year 2015
|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 23
Middle East News
Expats in Kuwait to face travel ban for unpaid fines U npaid
traffic fines will result in a travel ban for expats in Kuwait, local media said. The Interior Ministry is coordinating with border posts and car insurance offices to identify foreign workers that have pending traffic-related fines, Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs, Major General Abdullah Al Muhanna, was quoted as saying by Arabic daily, Al Rai. Fine payment offices would be established at airports in case drivers were unaware of fines. Quoting the General Department of Residency Affairs, a media report said 2,433,559 foreigners are currently residing in Kuwait. In its latest statisti-
cal report, the department revealed that the expatriate population in the country consists of 1,612,699 men and 820,550 women. According to the report, a total of 1,192,105 expatriates are employed in the private sector (visa 18); 99,940
Oman proposes tax on expat remittances
S ultanate of Oman’s Majlis al-
Shura (Consultative Assembly), has approved the proposal to levy two per cent tax on expatriate remittances, which would add OMR60 million to the exchequer, a media report said. “The approval to tax expatriate remittances is one of the several steps proposed to overcome the budget deficit, which the Sultanate will face while adjusting the oil price,” Times of Oman quoted Tawfiq Al Lawati, a Shura member, as saying.
24 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Almost 1.9 million expats will be hit by the move, said the report. “The approval to tax expatriate remittances is one of the several steps proposed to overcome the budget deficit, which the Sultanate will face while adjusting the oil price,” the report quoted Tawfiq Al Lawati, as saying. “The budget is based on oil price set on $85. The global average is $75. So, we have proposed to revise it to $80.
are working in public institutions (visa 17) and the number of domestic helpers (visa 20) reached 619,895 — one of the highest in the GCC. On the other hand, the number of foreigners on family visas (visa 22) totaled 518,377and the number of foreign students is 655.
KSA mulls 5-year residency permit for workers
F oreigner workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are likely to have the validity of their residency permits extended to five year, said a Gulf News report.Currently, the permits are valid for one year and must be renewed, for a fee, annually.
Quoting the Saudi media, the report said the Directorate General of Passports is working on the final touches on the plan to introduce the five-year validity.No time frame has been announced for the move, but passport officials told local daily Al Madinah that the application would start soon.
Experts in Construction
www.alqabdah.com
Sharjah Tel +971 6 5507787 Fax +971 6 5507797 P.O.Box 28912
Dubai Tel +971 4 4434115 Fax +971 4 4434116 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 25 P.O.Box 92388
International News
India launches e-visa facility for 43 countries I ndia has launched electronic visa
(e-visa) facility for tourists from 43 countries, including the UAE, Sultanate of Oman, US and Japan to boost tourism sector and offer hassle-free travel to foreign visitors. India’s Interior Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Minister of Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma launched the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) service enabled with electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme. Apart from these four countries, tourists from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, Germany,
Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Tonga, Laos, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Kiribati, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tuvalu, Ukraine,
Portugal’s Golden Visa investment nears €1 billion I nvestment
through Portugal’s Golden Visa has almost reached the €1 billion threshold. The country continues to attract overseas investors through the residency scheme, despite recently ruling against proposed tax exemptions for foreign buyers, according to media reports. Since its launch in 2012, around 1,500 residency permits have been issued through the scheme, bringing in €950 million of investment. This has helped to boost confidence in the country, with areas such as Lisbon seeing increased interest from overseas. The majority of buyers have come from China (80
26 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
per cent), followed by Russians, as High Net Worth Individuals are required to stump up a minimum of €500,000 in real estate investment to qualify for a visa. With the success of the scheme, it came as no surprise that the welcoming country was considering extending its tax exemptions for foreigners. The current NonHabitual Residents Tax Regime (NHR) is a 10-year scheme that gives foreigners living in Portugal (for whatever length of time) a flat tax rate of 20 per cent, exemption from foreign income tax and 100 per cent gift and inheritance tax exemption for relatives and spouses.
Vietnam and Vanuatu will now be able to get e-visa.This visa will allow entry of the tourists into India within 30 days from the date of approval of ETA and will be valid for 30 days stay from the date of arrival. The facility will be extended to other nations in a phased manner.
Temp visa extensions for Ukrainians in Australia
A ustralia will grant extensions to eligi-
ble Ukrainian nationals in Australia on temporary visas due to the continuing unrest in Ukraine, according to the Prime Minister’s website. The extensions will be decided on case to case basis and are limited to six months for the time being. “The Commonwealth Government has made the decision to extend the arrangements which were put in place in March. Ukrainian nationals who are currently in Australia on a visitor visa due to expire and who may be affected by the unrest in the Ukraine will be able to approach the Department of Immigration to make an application for an extension of their visa for a further six months,” the website stated.
|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 27
New Technology
Smart Cities
An interconnected world
A hmed Qurram Baig, Senior Director for Strategy, Risk and Excellence at Smartworld, a joint venture between Etisalat and Dubai World Central (DWC), shares insights on the smart city concept with MANAFEZ DUBAI.
The smart city is a global phenomenon driven by a confluence of rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure, and advances in information and communication technology (ICT), which are all super-charged by the imperatives of the ever increasing need for government austerity. The world is experiencing an evolution of Smart Cities. Humans are already interconnected via smart phones and gadgets. Homes, cars, public venues and other social systems are now on their path to the full connectivity known as the “Internet of Things.” Standards are evolving for all of these potentially connected systems. They will lead to unprecedented improvements in the quality of life. To benefit from them, city infrastructures and services are changing with new interconnected systems for monitoring, control and automation. Globally, it is a trillion dollar market with companies supplying 28 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
multi-million dollar solutions to cities with swelling populations and shrinking budgets. By 2025, there may well be more than 100 cities around the world that are fully “smart,” or on the road to becoming that way. The rapid urbanization and unprecedented growth of cities globally continues to attract people and businesses creating more opportunities and economic value to nations. It is estimated that more than 3.5 billion people are currently living in cities across the world and 80 per cent of global GDP is generated in these cities. In 2012, the global GDP stood at $72.6 trillion. In 2013, total GDP of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) totalled $15.8 trillion. BRICS countries with three trillion
population represent about 40 per cent of world’s population and are expected to have about 40 per cent of world economy by 2030. About seven billion people are expected to be living in cities in the next three decades if one goes by the projections made by a UN body. It is estimated that more than 70 per cent of world population will be living in cities by 2030. This presents immense challenges in terms of effectively utilizing infrastructure, resources and calls for better sustainability. We will witness inter-connectedness of infrastructure and require right investments toward smart management of resources, mobility and assisted living. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched a strategy to transform Dubai into a ‘Smart City’.
New
Under the strategy, more than 1,000 government services will go smart in the next three years. The future cities globally are poised to become smarter and intelligent to deal with current challenges around performance, efficiency, safety and security towards better sustainability, economic growth and development. It has been estimated by the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills that smart cities industry will be worth over $400 billion by 2020 as the current capacity building approach alone seems to be an insufficient and unsustainable model. The Smart City concept has emerged fast in the recent times as a city that promotes the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to engage with residents to develop and make better use of infrastructure and sustainable economic development. Smart City concept has been summed up in many ways. For Smart Cities Council, a smart city is one that has digital technology
Smart cities create more effective urban systems capable of addressing contemporary challenges and urban problems
embedded across all city functions. In a study, Frost & Sullivan identified eight key aspects that define a Smart City: smart governance, smart energy, smart building, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, smart healthcare and smart citizen. IEEE stated that a smart city brings together technology, government and society to enable these characteristics: smart cities, a smart economy, smart mobility, a smart environment, smart people, smart living, smart governance. Whatever the explanation, the importance of smart cities cannot be ignored. Smart cities create more effective urban systems capable of addressing contemporary challenges and urban problems.
Technology
They create more innovative and competitive cities, based on knowledge clusters, people-led innovation, and global networking; offering higher capacity of monitoring and management of environmental issues; improved city transportation; more secure urban spaces. The future cities will require right investments that will largely focus on smart management of resources, mobility and assisted living, with focus on collaborative and inclusive government services that will require private and public partnership and citizen’s involvement. The key driving factors for the smart cities will be various digital services and presence of the internet connected devices in various forms such as wearable’s, sensors and control devices allowing faster services and generation of massive amounts of data. We are thinking about it in terms big volume, high velocity, variety and variability which is known as Big Data. Big data initiatives will also allow us to create services around shared interests, communities or even needed information such as traffic, weather and environment. The proliferation of the internet-connected smart devices and its explosion into the consumer market will change the way technology is used leading to a major cultural shift in businesses innovations and behavior of residents. It is expected than more than 50 billion intelligence devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. This fast adoption of the Internet of things (IoT) is however, threatened by various security issues. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 29
Special Study
A transnational study recommends a successful migration enforcement regime in public interest
Trade-offs in Immigration Enforcement
I llegal migration has become a major challenge for
countries around the world, but not enough is being done to tackle this major socio-economic challenge
Unauthorized migrants, those who do not have legal rights to stay in a country, live amid continuous fear of being deported, usually get paid lower wages and even face the risk of being subjected to unsafe work conditions. In countries where they stay, it becomes a challenging task for the governments to manage them amid financial, human resource and legal constraints. According to the United Nations estimates, in 2013 the number of immigrants worldwide was 231,522,215. This is roughly 3.25 per cent of world population. The decision to immigrate to another land could be due to multiple factors like desire to improve one’s financial condition, escaping natural disasters, political problems in one’s country, family unification or even wanting to change one’s surroundings. This pattern is similar in case of illegal migrants too. The trend for immigration, hence, is upward, implying that people move from lesser developed countries to more developed ones. In 2005, 60 per cent immigrants lived in developed countries. 30 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Expenses to manage illegal immigrants could run mindbogglingly high. It cost France an estimated € 20,970 in 2008 to return each migrant
Quite obvious, it is these countries which face the highest challenge of managing unauthorized migrants.A study by the Transatlantic Council on Migration, a project of Migration Policy Institute (MPI) on ‘Tradeoffs in Immigration Enforcement’ highlights the need for a successful migration enforcement regime which is managed in public interest. “Most scrutiny is focused on unauthorized entry and an effective border management. But the sheer existence of large unauthorized populations in most industrialized societies undermines confidence in the efficacy of enforcement policies,” said authors Elizabeth Collett and Will Somerville. Amid the sensitivities surrounding immigration, policymakers face several constraints in pursuing enforcement measures to deal with unauthorized migrants.
Challenges
Resource constraints, legal framework and broader policy consequences could pose direct challenges in pursuing specific enforcement goals, says the MPI study. Expenses to manage illegal immigrants could run mind-bogglingly high. Quoting London’s National Audit Office statistics, the study said the cost of detention and return of each individual, when the individual was to be sent back, was estimated to be 10,100 pounds in 2003-04. In France, it cost an estimated 20,970 Euros in 2008 to return each migrant. Enforcement regarding unauthorized migrants could take up major chunk of immigration budgets. “Although austerity measures have compelled most Organization for Economic Cooperation and De-
Special
velopment (OPEC) member governments to reduce budgets over the past five years, legal short and long-term immigration flows have not dissipated. The resources for enforcement activities have this, been reduced to and /or diverted to operating legal immigration systems, while the pressures to achieve success in enforcement remain strong,” said the study.
Legal framework
Legal framework is another aspect policymakers cannot overlook as they seek to pursue enforcement measure to handle the issue of illegal migrants. For the migration policymakers, any legal framework entails a tradeoff between individual rights and the primacy of state rights in controlling entry. Moreover, the intrinsically international nature of immigration requires bilateral and sometimes, multi-lateral state agreements that inevitably clash or cause friction with the values of state sovereignty.
Study
To return or not to? Governments cannot overlook constraints as these might invite cynicism and further illegal behavior
The possible impact on other policy areas of unauthorized population are another direct constraint the policymakers face, MPI said. “For instance, enforcement may be trumped by other public interest imperatives, such as maintaining the health and welfare of the whole population (regardless of residence status).”
Offering legal residence to unauthorized immigrants is criticized due to several reasons, the major being that it is tantamount to encouraging illegal migration. The 2008 European Pact on Immigration Asylum made this clear, calling on governments to refrain from “mass” regularizations. That leaves them with the second major policy option, which is identifying illegal migrants and returns or deport them to the country of their origin.
The task could also get difficult for policymakers when a certain market has requirement for specific skill set which is being met by unauthorised migrants.
Identifying the migrants could get tedious as well as cost incentive and a commonly adopted approach, hence, is to focus on immigrants who pose the greatest threat.
To move ahead with enforcement measures, governments cannot overlook constraints as these might invite cynicism and further illegal behavior, thereby threatening the credibility of the government.
Canada and Netherlands, for instance, prioritize on removing people who pose a threat to national security or are involved in organized crime. The major drawback, however, is this could get cost and |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 31
Special Study
resource intensive as in many cases intelligence and careful law enforcement work could be required, said the study.
The resources for enforcement activities have this
The governments also need to effectively deal with other challenges in the way of identifying illegal migrants like possible criticism especially when the measures could be taken as discriminatory.
authorized population to carry out day to day functions. In Switzerland, one needs an identity card to open a bank account or purchase a mobile phone connection.
Citing an example of the French government sending police officials to wait at school gates for unauthorized parents to pick up their children, the study said there are clearly limits on how intrusive immigration officers can be in locating this population An effective strategy, such as the one adopted by US and Switzerland, is making it difficult for un32 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Sometimes countries also focus on removing illegal migrants from a particular country. Governments could set targets of removing a set number of people in a particular year.
Setting quotas
One of the problems with setting quotas on number of people to be returned is resource allocation may be insufficient and hence, il-
legal migrants who are a threat to security may be overlooked in the process. According to the study, usually this approach leads to targeting individuals who offer the least threat as it is easiest to go after the low hanging fruit. “Overall, the targeting model (aimed at reducing the greatest threat) offers a more precise targeting of resources and is more strategic in reducing both the threat to public safety and the more organized violation of immigration and other important laws.�Returning the unauthorized migrants after identifying the governments will need to establish the country of origin and citizenship to obtain travel documents for them. This could be challenging as many times, such individuals come from
Special
Study
According to the study, usually this approach leads to targeting individuals who offer the least threat as it is easiest to go after the low hanging fruit
unstable countries or could have destroyed passports and other documents that establish their identity. Agreements, such as the one between national governments and the European Commission in negotiating readmission agreements with both origin and transit countries such as the Ukraine and Turkey, whereby transit countries are required to accept migrants who have travelled through rather than originated in their territory, seem to be effective when it comes to returning the migrants. “Overcoming these challenges is essential to maintain credibility across the immigration system,” the study said. However, return is an incomplete policy option and in spite of political and public distaste, regularization remains a frequently employed tool. Many times governments justify it by stating its humanitarian benefits such as reducing poverty and poor employment conditions for people who may have resided in a country for many years.
Regularisation
According to the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), over 40 regularizations took place across Europe over the past decade, giving legal status to over 3 million people. But regularization is not a
perfect policy tool as it encourages illegal migration. The MPI study said the governments should adopt a combination of both return and regularization, relying on regularization only in case of crisis situations. “Governments are faced with the challenge of reducing unauthorized populations while preventing future illegal immigration in the context of limited resources. Policymakers also have legitimate concerns beyond existing illegally resident populations and flows of illegal immigration. In particular, they may be concerned with types of organized immigration crime—most obviously drug smuggling and other underground economic activities, gang activities, or the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation. The growth of intermediaries or agents who facilitate illegal immigration is an escalating problem, contributing further to the sense that the rule of law and society’s sense of order are under assault,” it highlighted. A successful migration enforcement regime, said the report, is the one that does limited (or no) harm to a country’s institutions and to citizens’ livelihoods and strengthen public confidence. In order to attain these targets, the policymakers need to have a strong understanding of other available
Elizabeth Collett
the intrinsically international nature of immigration requires bilateral and sometimes
metrics. It is also important to respect individual rights of migrants or tradeoffs against broader public welfare goals. “There is potential to collect and analyze a range of key performance indicators drawn from court cases, crime statistics, health indicators, and so on. Doing so could allow policymakers to better differentiate between known and unknown risks, and to adjust policies to cope with both existing and emerging challenges of enforcement. A range of metrics, if transparently and thoughtfully deployed, will also increase the confidence of stakeholders and the public that enforcement actions are effective.” As such, one of the key elements of success in this field may well be the recognition that success is not solely an enforcement approach, but one which takes the broad range of policy tools (including regularization) into account. |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 33
Special Study
Immigration to Asia:
Dramatic Growth
A sian countries are getting more receptive to skilled
migrants as part of their booming and rapidly structuring economies.
Major shifts in global immigration trends are likely to witness increase in skilled immigration to Asian countries, which have, so far, largely been seen as a source for high income nations of North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. A latest study, Highly Skilled Migration to Asian Nations, has highlighted how there is an increasing acceptance in the region that inter-
34 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Almost 30 per cent of all migrants aged 15 and more in OECD were from Asia in 2012
national migration is an important part of their booming and rapidly structuring economies.
Shifting trends
Asia, which is home to 60 per cent of world’s population, has largely
been a source of immigrants to developed nations. Almost 30 per cent of all migrants aged 15 and more in OECD were from Asia in 2012. Major shifts in global migration trends have taken place, according to 2013 Report on International Migration of the United States, said Graeme Hugo. Highlighting that immigrants in Asian countries are increasing annually by 2.6 per cent, faster than
Special
Japan has a programme to attract highly skilled workers
any other region and, at the same time, witnessing an upswing in intra-Asian migration, the study said the trend is likely to continue as a higher number of Asian countries have initiated strategies to increase their intake of skilled migrants. Increased skilled immigration is an element in this dramatic growth, not only in higher income countries like Singapore, Japan, Korea and Taiwan but also in lower income, but rapidly growing, economies like Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Asian nations did not typically encourage immigration and it was not considered positive for a country. Due to this perception, even in cases where there were good enough reasons to allow settle-
ment, such as in case of demand for labour or in case of asylum seekers, it wasn’t allowed. Instead of migration management, the focus was more on constraint, policing and exclusion, said the study, while adding that immigration was strictly on a temporary basis with foreigners not being allowed to become citizens even when necessary. The scenario has witnessed a significant change in the last over a decade. Countries are now becoming more open and are formulating new immigration policies, the study said. Globally the percentage of all nations with policies to raise skilled immigration increased from 22 to 40 percent between 2005 and 2013. In Asia, the number of countries to raise skilled immigration levels more than doubled between 2005 and 2013.
Varied approaches
Analyzing the response of different Asian nations to new migration situation, the study noted there
Study
The scenario has witnessed a significant change in the last decade
are varied approaches to the issue. Many Asian countries like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which are now developed and continue to grow, rapidly face labour shortage and have thus, developed programs to attract both skilled and unskilled labour. Among these, Singapore has the most comprehensive range of migration channels and there is a clear path where skilled migrants can become permanent residents, and to a lesser extent, citizens, the study noted. “The migration policy is closely aligned with the island-states’ efforts to transform its economy as a global hub for knowledge intensive industries with an emphasis on high end technology and innovation.” |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 35
Special Study
Japan also has a programme to attract highly skilled workers, a program of trainee migration of people employed by Japanese companies overseas, especially in Southeast Asia and also a program to attract Nikkei – Japanese descendants largely from South America, in addition to special temporary programs for entertainers, carers and students. Besides, it has substantial international marriage migrations. In spite of language barriers, there are more than two million legal migrants in Japan which includes a substantial number of skilled workers being substantial. With similar constraints as those of Japan, South Korea has a developed Skilled Migration Policy even though it has been able to attract only around 50,000 skilled foreign workers. The case of oilrich Gulf countries is a special one, where a massive inflow of wealth led to major infrastructural development, post the 1973 oil crisis. These countries account for 14.3 per cent of all global immigrants in 2013. The study noted that in case of rapidly developing but still middle and low income nations such as Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Thai36 |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 |
Countries are now becoming more open and are formulating new immigration policies
land, Philippines, Vietnam and many South and Southeast Asian nations, the rapid growth and restructuring of national economies has been accompanied by an increasing influx of skilled workers and business people from Europe, North America and Australasia on a mostly temporary, but long term, basis. “This has been in addition to significant movement of professionals and other highly skilled workers within the Asian region largely from countries with education systems producing larger numbers of such workers than their own economies can currently absorb especially India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”
MNC investments
Major investments by multinationals have among the key reasons leading to an influx of professionals, business people and technical workers in these nations. “The massive growth of investment by multinational operations
in the region which has seen the MNCs transfer large numbers of MDC origin staff into Asia. By 2003 there were 911,062 Japanese citizens officially living overseas, many in other Asian countries.” In China, the number of registered foreign workers (skilled) increased from 74,000 in 2000 to 220,000 by the end of 2011 and there were 593,832 foreign nationals in China in 2010. China has already targeted skilled individuals in strategic industries. In 2008, the nation initiated a ‘1,000 Talents Program’ to attract foreign talent and, its 10-year plan on Talent Development in 2010 has a major component of foreign skilled workers. In 2013, Premier Wen made the following statement: “We will increase spending on talent projects and launch a series of initiatives to offer talent favorable policies in households’ medical care and the education of children… Specifically, the national plan also seeks to attract overseas Chinese and foreign academic professionals working at the world’s best institutions or as entrepreneurs”. In addition, there were 480,000 foreign professionals attracted to
Special
Due to this perception, even in cases where there were good enough reasons to allow settlement
In Asia, the number of countries to raise skilled immigration levels more than doubled between 2005 and 2013
work in China on a short term basis in 2009. There is a plan to increase the present number of overseas students (265,090 in 2010) to half a million in 2020.
“The next decade will undoubtedly see an increase in skilled immigration into Asian countries. It remains to be seen as to whether there is also formal steps taken with respect to governance of migration,” the study stated.
Return Immigration
A corollary of the high level of skilled emigration out of the region has been a significant return flow, especially to the rapidly growing economies of Asia, which can often offer jobs with similar or better conditions than Euro-American destinations, said the study. This is happening in case of students as well as skilled professionals. Return migration of students and others who have settled overseas is another important source of skilled immigration especially in East Asian and, to a lesser extent, Southeast Asia. China has been highly innovative in return migration. Alongwith maintaining permanent migration policies the focus has shifted to encouraging the diaspora to engage more intensively and more productively with their homeland through measures such as temporary movement between the destination country and the homeland, Temporary Return’ and Virtual Return strategies.
Graeme Hugo
Changing attitudes
Changes in dimensions of immigration are clearly visible now. In the past most expatriate skilled workers were from Europe, North America or Oceania, now they are increasingly drawn from other Asian nations although the former countries remain of significance.
Study
“As the OECD has indicated in 2012, a crucial question remains as to whether Asian countries can make the transition from restrictive migration policies to selective policies.”
Previously expatriates were all on temporary contracts. This remains the major model but longer term and permanent residence options are beginning to open up for the first time. While western expats were given more favorable working conditions and salaries than their local counterparts, a change is being noted now with foreigners (although still given some privileges) increasingly competing in the local labour markets for skill.
|Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 37
In Focus
Automated Border Control (ABC):
The way forward to a seamless travel experience A s the number of air travelers is expected to rise exponentially
to six billion by 2030, the need to be well-prepared to handle these volumes as well as ensure security of borders was never more crucial. While delays at borders would affect satisfaction of passengers, border control agencies need to ensure safety at the same time.
Automated Border Control (ABC) systems play a significant role in helping countries worldwide achieve this objective. As more than 120 airports worldwide implement ABC systems, industry continues to look into potential challenges and means that can ensure success of ABC.
imperatives using a versatile, automated platform that has the flexibility to adapt to legislative, commercial, political and traveler volume changes in the future, stated Accenture, a leading global organisation in management consulting, technology and outsourcing.
“ABC represents a key opportunity for border control authorities to address both security and efficiency
“ABC systems apply a consistently high standard of validation to travel documents and identities
38 38|Manafez |Manafez Dubai Dubai |January |January 2015 2015 ||
using various biometrics (e.g. face or fingerprint matching) and background checks for all travelers (e.g. by cross-matching identity information to biographic and/or biometric watch lists). The solution can adapt to individual traveler profiles, whatever their country of origin, and can offer enhanced security compared to today’s manual processes,” reported Accen-
In
Focus
Implementing ABC systems, however, did have its share of challenges ture which has dedicated ABC services in several countries including Brussels, France and the USA, in its insights on Automated Border Clearance (ABC). “In addition, ABC offers a considerably lower cost per transaction. Research by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that while a desk-based airline check-in costs on average $3.68 per transaction, the same transaction costs 16 cents when conducted at an automated, self-service kiosk.” Looking at the implementation journey of ABC systems, Accenture observed how the Australian government, one of the earliest adopters of biometrics in their border control and passport fraud detection systems with their SmartGate solution in 2002, experienced a reduction in processing time from 45 to 17 seconds, with a 98 percent success rate. Similar success has been demonstrated in case of other parts of the world as well. Implementing ABC systems, however, did have its share of challenges. “ABC systems address the issue of dramatically increasing passenger flow,” said Markus Clabian of Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), which is coordinating FastPass, a research project aimed at harmonizing ABCs, explore opportunities and solving the risks and challenges associated with extended use of electronic Machine Readable Travel Documents (eMRTDs) in the European Union.
Caliban described challenges that need to be considered, at the 9th Symposium and exhibition on MRTDs, biometrics and border Security, which took place at the ICAO Headquarters in Montreal last year. “Travelers want a speedy border crossing with minimum delays, while border guards must fulfil their obligations of securing EU borders against illegal immigration and other threats. The FastPass project aims to support the smart border package—the European Commission’s legislative proposal for implementing a Registered Traveler Programme and Entry/ Exit system in Europe,” he said. The project, which started in 2013 and is scheduled for completion in 2016. Clabian suggested analyzing the differences between manual and automated processes in document checking to improve ABC systems. “The document checking process of an ABC is different from manual border control in that the document never leaves the owner’s hands. The
only way to decide if it is valid or invalid is by analyzing the data produced by the document scanner. Another step for the increased performance of ABC systems is the multiple use of cameras within the gate for single person detection, left object detection or queue length measurement,” he said. He said replying solely on electronic security of current e passports may not be sufficient. “FastPass has already developed methods to detect some of the obvious attacks and will integrate them into next generation document scanners. Video surveillance will further enhance image quality, application areas and detection quality and the added value of video surveillance will benefit the security and efficiency of ABC systems.” Further research is necessary to make document checking in the age of ABC efficient and secure. On the forefront of these developments, FastPass will contribute further to these efforts and will regularly inform the public about its results and achievements. |Manafez |ManafezDubai Dubai| |January Jarnuary 2015 | 39
In Focus
In case of Heathrow, where ABCs or ePassport gates were installed at all terminals, starting August 2010, with an aim to improve passenger satisfaction at the border, improve the capacity of the border to handle passengers and allow for efficient deployment of Border Force front line staff. Accenture, in its study on ABCs in Heathrow, highlighted the processes involved in design, construction and implementation and the lessons learnt out of implementing the same. Among the main challenges were ensuring that the business cases for both Heathrow and Border Force (and their parent body UKBA) were aligned so that the installed product fulfilled all of the objectives; ensuring that the commercial arrangements for all costs involved in the design, installation and running of the gates were clearly defined and agreed prior to any major step in the project. Also, stakeholder expectations needed close scrutiny to make sure that all aspects were considered this includ-
More than 120 airports worldwide implement ABC systems
ed security measures, timescales and operational impact, said Accenture. “During the construction and testing phase of the project, there was the possibility of disruption to the passengers’ journey within the airport as the gates are positioned in what were very busy and at times capacity constrained areas. Ensuring a safe working environment with minimal adverse effects on queuing and crowding was therefore carefully considered and planned for alognwith forecasting to ensure that the gates, when installed and running, were sufficient for the increasing numbers of passengers travelling with biometric passports needed so there was a balance between possible underutilization at the start of operation and not running out of capacity after a short number of years’ operation.
According to the Accenture report, the introduction of the gates showed a major increase in customer satisfaction and allowed redeployment of Border Force staff to deal with other areas. “However this needs to be balanced with the cost of installation and operation and the inevitable disruption during installation,” it said. Tight collaboration between the border control service, the airports and the selected supplier was a major factor that led to success of implementing the Portuguese ABC eGates project, designated by the name RAPID, according to an Accenture report. The biggest challenge, back in 2007 when the project was started, was the lack of similar programs. “The RAPID project was a pioneer and there were concerns about the technology and even about how to develop it. What we take for granted today, when talking about ABC, was completely new back then so there was much reservation regarding the reliability of the technology, distrust by many and a general feeling of going into the unknown. Another challenge was the ePassport interoperability between different countries and how the system would process their different certificates. In Portugal the authorities had control over the quality of both the photograph and the ePassport but the same did not apply to all countries. There was concern that the system would be unable to process passports from some specific countries, thus reducing the number of passengers that potentially could use the ABC eGates.” The project was implemented in phases and continuously rising num-
40 40|Manafez |Manafez Dubai Dubai |January |January 2015 2015 ||
In
Focus
The only way to decide if it is valid or invalid is by analyzing the data produced by the document scanner
ber of passengers using eGates reflects the success of the project, the report said. Apart from rise in passengers throughput, increased security, a more efficient resource management and capacity planning, it was noted that the increase in the number of passenger in the last six years did not led to increase in the number of border police officers. The Portuguese ABC eGates implementation was the first time facial recognition against an ePassport was successfully deployed, which represented an important achievement and led to other countries considering implementing similar solutions. It also led to a more efficient space management by the airport since the footprint needed for the ABC eGates is considered smaller than a traditional manual box. In order to sustain ABC growth, industry experts suggest a multi-pronged approach. Jean Salomon, a principal with JSCP, and an active expert working group member of ECAC, IATA, ICAO, Frontex and ISO, in the ICAO’s IMTD report on the 9th Symposium on MRTDs, suggested four base pillars to sustain ABC growth. The first pillar, he said is in line with ICAO-driven TRIP (Traveler Identification Programme) strategy. ”The basis of any ABC programme’s success has shifted away from the nature
of the travel document itself (ePassports nowadays are rugged and tamperproof) to its content and connectivity extent, that is, secure and verified data exchanges from trusted procedures in a holistic chain. ICAO’s TRIP Strategy underlines the necessity to improve the logging of vital events (like birth registrations) by increasing the quality and security around the chain of processes involved in the various registrations. Today large discrepancies between all legitimate birth certificate documents —there are thousands of different paper types, for example, in the US—make it possible to submit a fake birth certificate when applying for a new ePassport. In such a case, the new travel document, although based on a forged identity, would be genuine—yet, unfortunately, unlikely to be detected even by a good ABC system,” he pointed out. Pre-emptive risk analysis, best performed ahead of border crossing, is a key success factor of ABC and the second pillar, said Salomon.
The project, which started in 2013 and is scheduled for completion in 2016
“Several countries are already operating a Joint Border Operation Centres (JBOCs) based on teams being physically present on airport premises and regrouping police., customs, carriers , airport aviation security (AVSEC) and other operational investigators and analysts. They share, discuss and access passenger profiles prior to flight arrival based on shared multi-source information. As a general principle, travel decisions are made in the country of origin long before the actual border crossing takes place and are subject to changes, resulting in successive updates to the traveler’s computer reservation or PNR (Passenger Name Record). The PNR is closely linked, ahead of the actual travel time, to the traveler’s identity or Advanced Passenger Information (API), the latter containing essentially the biodata on the traveler’s passport. |Manafez |ManafezDubai Dubai| |January Jarnuary 2015 | 41
opinion column
The US is and always will be a nation of immigrants F or more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations.
But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it. Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Barack Obama President United States of America
All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart. When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. Last year, we worked on a comprehensive fix which was not perfect, but it reflected common sense. I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed.
*Edited excerpts from his speech on executive immigration plan 42 42 42|Manafez |Manafez |Manafez Dubai Dubai Dubai |September |January |January 2015 2015 ٢٠١٤ | ||
But undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe
that they must be held accountable – especially those who may be dangerous.
We’ll prioritise
At the same time, we cannot ignore that most of these immigrants have been here a long time and have become a part of American life. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve been in America for more than five years; if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents; if you register, pass a criminal background check, and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes – you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily, without fear of deportation. This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently or who might come to America illegally in the future. I know that some worry immigration will change the very fabric of who we are, or take our jobs. Our history and the facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society. We are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal – that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.
opinion column
Immigration benefits, but need to be controlled UK is keen on reducing the high level T heof migration from within the EU. Immigration benefits Britain, but it needs to be controlled. It needs to be fair and centred around our national interest. I am extremely proud that together we have built a successful, multi-racial democracy. Over the last ten years, immigration to the UK has soared, while the number of Britons going to work abroad has remained roughly the same. This has led to problems like a huge rise in asylum claims and disproportionate number of jobs going to foreign workers. Without our reforms, in the last year alone, 50,000 more migrants from outside the EU would have come to the UK. As we have reduced the numbers coming to the UK from outside the EU, the numbers from inside the EU have risen. We are currently the jobs factory for Europe and, combined with our generous welfare system, including for those in work, the UK becomes a magnetic destination from other European countries. My objective is simple: to make our immigration system fairer and reduce the current exceptionally high level of migration from within the EU into the UK. We want to create the toughest system in the EU for dealing with abuse of free movement. We want EU jobseekers to have a job offer before they come here.
We also want to restrict the time that jobseekers can legally stay in this country. We want to reduce the number of EU workers coming to the UK. I will insist that in the future those who want to claim tax credits and child benefit must live here and contribute to our country for a minimum of four years. And we will introduce a new residency requirement for social housing – meaning that you can’t even be considered for a council house unless you have been here for at least four years.
David Cameron Prime Minister United Kingdom
This is about saying: our welfare system is like a national club made up of the contribution of hardworking British taxpayers. If you (re) elect me as Prime Minister in May, I will negotiate to reform the European Union, and Britain’s relationship with it. If I succeed, I will, as I have said, campaign to keep this country in a reformed EU. If our concerns fall on deaf ears and we cannot put our relationship with the EU on a better footing, then of course I rule nothing out.
Edited excerpts from David Cameron’s immigration speech |Manafez Dubai |January 2015 | 43