After 50 yrs of life, Somali Immigrants Suffering in the Arab Countries (UAE)

[Jacaylbaro]

AJMAN // Mohammed Jamua Yousuf was a young man when he left his home in Somalia and travelled to Ajman to make a new life for himself. Now, more than half a century later, he could soon be leaving forever.

 

The 74-year-old arrived in the emirate in the 1950s but has been without a residency visa since 1992. For more than 20 years he has been living illegally, in constant fear of being jailed or deported.

 

Now, the two-month amnesty for illegal residents has presented the former soldier with the chance to return to his native country without facing hefty fines or fees, but at a cost of leaving his home in the UAE.

 

"This has been an important opportunity, especially for people like me who don't have the money to pay fines for staying illegally. But I am worried there is no one to take care of me back in Somalia and my health is not good," he said.

 

The amnesty allows illegal residents to leave the UAE without paying fines. It began on December 4 and will continue until February 4.

 

Mr Yousuf joined the British Army when he came to the Arabian Gulf, signing up to protect what was then the Trucial States. He was posted to Yemen for two years and served alongside many Emiratis before being sent back to the UAE.

 

He left the armed forces in 1974 and began working at a transport company owned by a former military colleague. In 1992 Mr Yousuf lost his job and needed to arrange his own residency visa. However, he said he was tricked and lost the Dh3,600 fee to a conman. He took the case to court but the fraudster disappeared.

 

Since then he has been unable to find official, regular work and has lived as an illegal resident, taking any job that came his way.

 

Over the years his health worsened to the point where he could no longer work and became reliant on charity.

 

Mr Yousuf now lives in a single room in one of the run-down buildings that make up Ajman's Karama neighbourhood. The room was given to him by an Emirati friend, who also sends his maid to take Mr Yousuf his meals each day.

 

Now an old man, he has health problems including diabetes and high blood pressure and is bedridden most days. He depends on the goodwill of the Somali community to buy medicine to treat his conditions.

 

Ahmed Mohammed, who helps Mr Yousuf, said the whole community was indebted to him because of his good character and the help he extended to others when they arrived in the UAE.

 

"We all wish him well and want to help in any way we can," he said. "The trouble is our helping capacity is also limited. No one among us can sponsor him on a residence visa as he is not our close family member. People were worried he could have had a huge fine for staying so long as an illegal."

 

After so many years spent abroad, Mr Yousuf fears his friends and family in Somalia have either been killed in the country's decades of conflict or that those still alive might simply not remember him.

 

Mr Yousuf, who never married, said: "All I have in this world is Allah and the people of UAE who have always helped me.

 

"Without the UAE and its people I think I may die so soon. And if am to die, I want to die and be buried in this good and blessed land."

 

Brig Mohammed Abdullah Alwan, director of the Naturalisation and Foreign Affairs Department in Ajman, said earlier this month that 1,305 illegal residents had responded to the amnesty and presented themselves to the authorities to claim exit permits.

 

He said the department expected more people to come forward at the end of the month, as many were waiting until the last days of the programme.

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/oldest-uae-illegals-dismay-at-having-to-leave-his-home-of-50-years#ixzz2Hvp2U7MP

[Jacaylbaro]

[Abwaan]

This is really sad....I am sure that the Somali government or a lot of Somalis including me can help this man. JB, don't you think that setting up a Facebook Page would be more beneficial to him?...just asking.

[Ambassador]

Quite sad as mentioned by Abwaan. We may share religion with the Arabs but they are more backward and primitive than the gaalo we live with. I've heard they deny documents to people born there granted that they aren't Arabs.

[rudy-Diiriye]

This is not fair...This country should at least provide him with retirement reimbursement!! Common, this individual had worked in this country for a long time and paid taxes! fair is fair.........where is the Islam sharci???? fing sheikh-dumb-azz- kingdoms.....worst slams in the world.

 

This is pure racism!! Thats why i hate them so called Towel head arabs. And nowadays, we have somali folks dressing like them mofos!! God bless somalia.

[Ambassador]

Some years ago, there was a similar story circulating around. A Somali boy born in the emirates was diagnosed with brain tumor. They refused to cover the expenses of the operation which was the only way to cure him and they did so because he wasn't a citizen. Dal carbeed meel lagu degdego ma'aha.

rudy-Diiriye;908241 wrote:

This is not fair...This country should at least provide him with retirement reimbursement!! Common, this individual had worked in this country for a long time and paid taxes! fair is fair.........where is the Islam sharci???? fing sheikh kingdoms.....worst slams in the world.

 

This is pure racism!!m Thats why i hate them so called Towel head arabs.

[NGONGE]

50 years? His fault really. They were giving citizenships for free to any that were willing ot take them back then.

[Juxa]

I hope allah eases his hardship

 

why are we blaming the arabs? there are many many wealthy somalis that could adopt this man and care for him no?

[Jacaylbaro]

Abwaan;908239 wrote:

This is really sad....I am sure that the Somali government or a lot of Somalis including me can help this man. JB, don't you think that setting up a Facebook Page would be more beneficial to him?...just asking.

Waar they don't listen ,,,,, and basically they don't care.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Allaha u fududeeyo maskiinka.

[N.O.R.F]

NGONGE;908272 wrote:

50 years? His fault really. They were giving citizenships for free to any that were willing ot take them back then.

He is probably one of those who refused on the basis that Somalia was a bigger/better country back then. Still, living in Somaliland is better than living in Ajman. Something I keep telling those who live in Ajman and other low quality cities in Arab countries and who haven't been back since the war.

[somalee]

Arabs are an unbelievable bunch. They literally worship the west, if this man was American, British or any other western national those fat arabs would've accorded him god status. They have deeply rooted inferiority complex issues.

[NGONGE]

^^ Those same Arabs that keep arresting Westerners in Dubai every time one of them is seen drinking?

[somalee]

Drinking (which the sheikhs themselves do) and having sex in public is against their law. I'm referring to the inhuman treatment of Somalis, other Africans and some Asians compared to how westerners are treated there. Arabs deeply respect and revere the west. No argument about that.

[NGONGE]

^^ Err..you haven't seen what they do to other Arabs.

 

http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/6273

 

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/british-dj-denies-hashish-charge-in-dubai-1.640778

 

Did you hear about the woman who had an accident in Dubai and when they checked her blood they found that she's taking an over the counter painkiller that is free in the UK but banned in Dubai? She was as blue eyed as any of your beloved gaalo but they still sent her to jail.

 

War dadkano ma naxaan dee. It really is not a vendetta against Somalis alone.