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The Dubai Economy’s Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector has shut down an immigration services office for offering unauthorised UAE citizenship services.
The establishment was found to have offered assistance to high-net-worth individuals who were looking to obtain a UAE passport in exchange for a fee of $10,000.
According to an investigation by the CCCP, the agency promised investors with assistance provided they had no less than 100 million dirhams in wealth and paid the processing charge.
The Dubai Economy did not specify whether the immigration firm was a fake entity or had previously offered services to applicants looking for a second passport in other countries.
The UAE passport has been ranked as one of the most powerful in the world, as it offers travelling Emirati citizens easy access to more than 100 destinations worldwide.
The UAE government announced recently that foreigners can now obtain a UAE citizenship.
Among those who can apply are investors, doctors, inventors, scientists, artists and intellectuals. However, interested individuals must be nominated first to be eligible.
According to the Dubai Economy, the immigration office that was offering UAE citizenship had promised investors that their applications would be evaluated for compliance prior to submission to the authorities concerned.
“The service offered was not only unauthorised but also in contravention of the recent amendment to the UAE Citizenship Law, which did not specify any fee or process for obtaining naturalisation,” the Dubai Economy said.
“As per the amendment made in January 2021, investors, doctors, scientists or researchers, creative talents like authors, inventors and their families are eligible to be nominated for citizenship by the UAE cabinet, local Emiri or Rulers’ Courts and executive councils of the seven emirates.”
(Reporting by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
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