(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) An evening walk in a public park in Abu Dhabi landed an Asian father in trouble when he was detained on suspicion of kidnapping his own child. A case was registered after investigations revealed the child did not have valid residency documents.
It later emerged that the man was indeed the father of the child, but had not registered him because his Arab wife's residency visa had expired when the child was born.
After verifying his claims, the police released the man after making him sign a declaration form committing to complete the required formalities to legalise the status of his wife and child within a period of two months. According to his lawyer, Rabia Abdel Rahman, the man has been advised to avail of the upcoming visa amnesty scheme announced by the UAE Cabinet last month.
According to judicial sources, the case unfolded earlier this month. As the father and son were out for a stroll, an Arab woman spotted them and grew suspicious on seeing the "white-skinned child with the brown-skinned father".
The curious woman reportedly approached the man and asked for the child's ID as proof that he was the biological father. When he failed to produce the document, the woman called the police, saying she suspected the man had kidnapped the child.
During the police interrogation, the man produced documents issued by the hospital where the child was born to prove his biological relation. But he admitted that his wife was staying illegally in the UAE after her residence visa had expired. He said he wasn't able to renew it due to financial reasons.
The police contacted the child's mother and asked her to go to the police but she refused to do so, fearing arrest.
The following day, the case was referred to the Abu Dhabi Police Social Support Department after a request from the man's lawyer. Advocate Rahman then advised the father to take advantage of the 'Protect Yourself by Modifying Your Status' initiative by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) to legalise the status of his wife and child.
Under the ICA initiative announced last month, foreigners violating the residency law will be granted a three-month grace period to either leave the country voluntarily without prosecution, or rectify their legal status by paying the required fees. The amnesty will be offered from August 1 to October 31.
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