Story thread · 2 reports / 1 sources

Dubai shelter gives visa violators a helping hand to return home

thenationalnews.com · 13dShare

When Ruth Waithera arrived in Dubai on a visitor visa in 2024, she hoped to find work and build a better future. Instead, the Kenyan mother found herself stranded, undocumented and homeless , with a newborn daughter to care for and no way of returning home . “I became pregnant and delivered my baby girl,” Ms Waithera told The National during a tour of Dubai's Centre for Harbouring. “It was so stressful for me as I couldn’t provide food or shelter for us. It was one of the hardest times of my life.” After months of uncertainty, a friend told Ms Waithera to take her two-month-old baby, Skula, and ask for help at Al Awir Centre, which is operated by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). “I was in a very bad situation but they welcomed us immediately,” she said. “A female officer listened to my story and assured me they would help me to return to my country.” The centre provided accommodation, meals, medical care and clothing for the mother and child before w

First report: Dubai shelter gives visa violators a helping hand to return home — thenationalnews.com, 13d