The United Arab Emirates is considering imposing restrictions on work quotas of countries that refuse to accept their nationals who wish to leave the Gulf nation amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratization is weighing plans to restructure its cooperation and labor relations with countries refusing to receive their nationals working in the UAE private sector. The move comes after a number of nations didn’t respond to requests from their citizens for repatriation.
According to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, the options include imposing strict future restrictions on the recruitment of workers from these countries and activating the "quota" system in recruitment operations. The options also include suspending memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed between the ministry and concerned authorities in these countries”.
The official source said these options are being considered after many countries refused to receive their citizens wishing to go back to their home countries either because they (citizens) are taking early leave or because their services have been terminated in light of the current circumstances.
He made it clear that all countries of foreign workers in the UAE should be responsible for their nationals wishing to return to their countries as part of the humanitarian initiative launched recently by the Ministry in cooperation and coordination with the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Civil Aviation Authority and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA).
The UAE is home to more than 9 million people, mostly expatriates. The nation, which has reported 3,736 virus cases including 20 deaths, has shut malls, restaurants, and halted the majority of its flights.
