All UAE residents have the right to free movement within and outside the UAE. Nevertheless, the law may inhibit this right through a debt travel ban UAE or other legal restrictions.

UAE authorities routinely impose travel bans or deportation orders for diverse reasons such as crimes, breaches of immigration law, unsettled debts, or pending civil claims. In this piece, Criminal Lawyers in Dubai endeavor to make the legalities of travel bans in the UAE clear to readers, elucidate how a debt travel ban UAE can be lifted, and clarify associated legal issues.

Understanding Travel Ban Laws in the UAE

The UAE law does not clearly define one particular, singular law concerning travel bans or how to remove them. However, several federal laws explicitly define the existence and enforcement of such bans. For instance, Federal Law No. 6 of 1972 on Immigration, and its amendment through Ministerial Decree No. 83 of 2002, defines some categories on which expatriates may be prohibited from entering or leaving the country. Article 94 of the Decree particularly enumerates these categories as follows:

Individuals prohibited from entering the country are:

• Those against whom a criminal complaint has been filed.
• Individuals deported by the relevant authority,
• People are deported or prohibited from travel by any member of the GCC countries.
• People involved in activities that have been reported by Interpol.
• People suffering from a disease that is regarded as threatening to public health.

People prohibited from leaving the country are:

• People subject to a travel ban issued by a public prosecutor for inquiries
• People prohibited by a criminal or civil court
• People prohibited by a ministerial decree for failure to settle debts due to the UAE government.

This is what the legal system presents about the enforcement of various forms of travel prohibitions, including a legal travel ban Dubai, and a debt travel ban UAE.

Key Differences Between Travel Ban, Labour Ban, Arrest Warrant, and Debt Travel Ban UAE

Legally, a travel ban discourages a person’s freedom of movement by preventing them from entering, re-entering, or exiting the country. Once the UAE government applies a travel ban, it prevents the individual from crossing the border via any mode of transport.

As stated earlier, the authorities may impose a travel ban due to any legal claims or immigration problems. Notably, a travel ban is quite distinct from an arrest warrant or a labour ban. The subsequent sections highlight the differences.

Travel Ban vs. Labour Ban:

A labour ban does not restrict a person from entering or exiting the UAE. Instead, it prohibits the person from obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) for a certain period, according to Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 and amendments thereto.

Despite the ban, the individual can still enter the country on another type of visa and work in occupations that are not covered by the MOHRE permit, such as work at free zone companies or in the public sector. In comparison, a travel ban is a direct immigration ban that forbids an individual from entering the UAE for any purpose.

Travel Ban vs. Arrest Warrant:

An arrest warrant is released by a competent authority for the arrest of a person who has committed a criminal act, as provided for under Articles 45–46 of Federal Law No. 3 of 1987 (the Penal Code), or who has disobeyed a final ruling by the execution court by Federal Law No. 11 of 1992 (the Civil Procedure Code). 

In criminal matters, the public prosecutor issues the arrest warrant if evidence is sufficient. In civil law, the execution court judge may issue the warrant in the event of failure to pay a claim that exceeds AED 10,000. 

Apparently, an arrest warrant differs from a travel ban. Arrest warrants are used by authorities to imprison suspects until they meet some legal requirement. A travel ban, however, solely bars one from entering or exiting the UAE until it is legally lifted.

In the majority of cases, individuals who have a travel ban are not permitted to exit or enter the country. However, they will not necessarily be detained at the airport unless the court or a relevant authority explicitly directs so.

It can also be mentioned here that while every travel ban includes an arrest warrant, not every travel ban is the result of an arrest warrant. Some may be due to civil cases, a debt travel ban UAE, a Dubai civil case travel ban, or a travel ban civil case UAE that restricts the travel of a person without requiring their detention.

Conclusion 

Briefly, while all UAE residents might usually have the right of freedom of movement, the government has the authority to issue a debt travel ban UAE or other travel bans on a myriad of legally established reasons, including having debts outstanding and ongoing civil or criminal cases. Unlike labour bans, which limit work permits but not movement, and arrest warrants, which may lead to detention, travel bans directly limit an individual from entering or leaving the country until they are lifted.

Understanding the implications of these bans and the related legal policy is vital to anyone being subjected to such restrictions, especially when there is an underlying debt or civil matter, like a Dubai civil case travel ban or a travel ban civil case UAE. For professional assistance, seeking the services of the Best Lawyers in Dubai at Khairallah Law Firm can prove to be of significant assistance and help.

Having said that, contact Khairallah Advocates & Legal Consultants and benefit from our free 30-min legal consultation.

*Disclaimer: our blogs, law updates, and FAQ’s are freely distributed for educational purposes and to showcase recent updates and regulations in the UAE’s framework.

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