The labour ministry's steps to curb the visa trade racket has merely increased the prices of work permits in the illegal market.
The fraud flourishes as ever before, with many expatriates allegedly paying up to Dh30,000 to get employment visas through back doors.
A Moroccan woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she paid Dh30,000 to her UAE sponsor in return for a three-year employment visa.
Another Pakistani worker said he paid Dh12,000 for the visa which allows him to stay in the country for three years. "Though I have a visa for employment, I wasn't given any job. Instead I was left in the lurch and I have to work illegally to get back this money and support my family back home."
When asked why he did not complain to the labour office, he said this offence is too difficult to establish. "I have no evidence to show the sponsor received the money. If I complain, I will simply lose my chances of earning any money because I do not even know the location of my sponsor's business."
Yousuf Al Baadani, a UAE national, said the illegal trade in visas is still a lucrative business for many unscrupulous businessmen as they find it easy to deceive the authorities.
"A person only needs to obtain a trading licence for a non-existent company then apply for work permits and these will cost around Dh5,300 each. The price ranges between Dh7,500 and Dh30,000 each based on the nationality of the worker and the profession he or she will assume," he said.
"For instance the visa for an Indian expatriate is sold for Dh7,500, a Pakistani Dh10,000 to Dh12,000, an Iranian Dh15,0000 and for Arabs between Dh7,500 and 10,000. The prices differ because of the restrictions and difficulties involved in obtaining a visa for a citizen of a certain country.
"For instance, it is too difficult to get a visa processed for an Iranian or a Pakistani. This applies to the citizens of certain Arab countries as well. The highest price of Dh30,000 is fixed for visas for women sponsored by companies organising wedding services.
"I know many such businessmen who are making money from this illegal business for a long time. To be on the safe side, they report these workers are absconders. This is being practised by many nationals of the GCC countries as well.
"Many are abusing the opportunities offered to them to invest in the country. They merely obtain trade licences and apply for work permits which they later sell before fleeing the country."
He said this leads to a long list of workers who arrive with no jobs or sponsors. "They stay in the country and usually appear at the ministry when their work permits expire and they have no other way to renew it."
Unofficial estimates now put the number of workers sponsored by these fictitious companies as high as 600,000 or around 27 per cent of the total workforce in the UAE.
Salem Ali Al Muhairi, Head of the Work Permit Committee at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, admitted the racket has been and will remain there unless an effective inspection mechanism is established.
"Companies offering wedding services and other companies are issued licences by other authorities. We only issue them work permits.
"But the problem right now is the company is only inspected once before issuing work permits. But there are no follow-up inspections to verify them.
"Two hundred or 300 inspectors employed by the ministry cannot cover the huge number of businesses nationwide. The law provides for at least two checks but the present small number of inspectors cannot do the task."
Human resources consultants think the racket is the result of migration pressures - supply from labour exporting countries outstrips the demand, which degrades rights of workers and makes them more vulnerable to abuses.
Dr Naeem Al Zunfuli, a human resource expert, said: "Selling of visas and non-payment of salaries are common abuses against workers. This will negatively affect the labour market. It will be filled up by unskilled workers who can afford to pay the visa price. The increase in supply means cutting salaries heavily and leaving workers unsatisfied with their wages.
"The racket also means that unscrupulous businessmen make gains without real work, which underestimates the value of work and overestimates other passive values in the labour market," Dr Al Zunfuli said.
How much each work permit cost
* Indian Dh7,500
* Pakistani Dh10,000-12,000
* Iranian Dh15,000
* Arabs Dh7,500-10,000
* Work permits for women in firms organising wedding services cost the highest - Dh30,000
* The sponsor with a trade licence obtains work permits costing Dh5,300 each before selling at the above prices
