Filipinos who wish to host a visitor to the UAE through a travel agency must now obtain a notarised declaration. Those who directly sponsor the visit of a next-of-kin, however, are exempted from such requirement.
This was the surprise move made by the Philippine mission yesterday.
Consul General Generoso Calonge, Charge d'Affaires at the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi, said they are just refining consular procedures.
"We are not imposing a new requirement. If a relative says they require an affidavit of support, we have to comply with the request of our citizens for that particular service, assuming the information they provide is correct and they pay the proper fees."
He also explained that neither the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila nor the host government have imposed travel restrictions on Filipinos.
"It appears that the Bureau of Immigration in Manila is tightening the flow of Filipinos to the UAE."
The embassy has released yesterday a new, bilingual form (English and Arabic) for the "declaration and undertaking" in which sponsor promises that the visitor he is hosting "will return from the UAE in the allowed time".
The declaration, to be stamped by a notary public authorised by the Justice Department in the emirate where the host resides, states that the sponsor would assume the responsibility for the accommodations, travel expenses (including return fare to the Philippines) and other expenses such as immigration fines and penalties that may be incurred by the visitor.
For a declaration to be notarised, the person executing it must personally appear before the notary public carrying his passport and residence visa.
The recent tightening of Filipinos travelling to the UAE was supposedly aimed to stem the tide of Filipino workers using the UAE as a jump-off point to Iraq, curb activities of illegal recruiters. Manila has a standing ban on Filipinos from entering Iraq.
But the reimposition of "supporting papers" by Manila immigration authorities has also revived an extortion racket, according to some victims who have paid about $100 as "escorting fee."
Filipinos departing for the UAE are also now required to present an original visit visa, where as they only gave faxed copies in the past.
The notarised declaration and undertaking was required starting yesterday for those who seek to get the embassy's stamp of affidavit of support and guarantee. The embassy gives a stamp of authentication for the affidavit of support for Dh100.
The new procedure drew scowls from hundreds of Filipinos on the queue to have their affidavits of support authenticated in order to sponsor distant relatives or friends to visit the UAE.
The new rule drew a mixed reaction from the Filipino community, Ricardo Flores, member of Bayanikasan, a Filipino anti-corruption watchdog, said: "This requirement is confusing. While may be done with good intentions, it is also discriminatory.
"What about the Filipino male professionals who would be affected by this new policy? And this would embolden the extortionists at the Manila airport who prey on hapless Filipino job-seekers bound for the UAE."
Two years ago, Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo had scrapped the need for travellers to present supporting papers, including authenticated papers, affidavit of support.
Tess Bautista, a Filipino community leader in Fujairah, said the new procedure came as a surprise, which would unduly disadvantage Filipino professionals who come here for real job interviews. "We still don't have the notarisation procedure in Fujairah."
How to sponsor a visitor
* Filipinos wishing to host a visitor through a travel agency must obtain a notarised declaration promising that the visitor will return from the UAE in the allowed time.
* The declaration, to be stamped by a notary public authorised by the Justice Department in the emirate where the host resides, states that the sponsor would assume the responsibility for the accommodation, travel expenses (including return fare) and other expenses incurred by the visitor.
* For a declaration to be notarised, the person executing it must personally appear before the notary public carrying his passport and residence visa.
* Those who sponsor the visit of a next-of-kin are exempted from the requirement.
* Filipinos departing for the UAE are also now required to present an original visit visa, unlike the faxed copies in the past.
Gulf News
