The United Arab Emirates on 10 December unveiled draconian penalties for companies or individuals who ‘shelter or employ infiltrators’ – a term covering anyone residing without valid immigration status. Federal Law 29 of 2021 already criminalised such acts; the latest decree raises the financial stakes to between AED 100,000 (HK$212,000) and AED 5 million and adds jail terms of at least two months for serious or repeated violations.
The move is part of a broader Emirati crackdown on visa misuse amid an influx of foreign workers during the post-pandemic construction boom. Authorities say undocumented labour undermines national security and distorts the labour market. The law also targets businesses that sponsor workers on tourist visas or fail to cancel residence permits after layoffs.
Hong Kong conglomerates operating logistics hubs in Jebel Ali, tech start-ups in Dubai Internet City, or retail franchises in Abu Dhabi must now tighten vendor-audit procedures. Under UAE joint-liability rules, a Hong Kong parent company can be fined if its local subsidiary, contractor or even accommodation provider is found housing infiltrators. Mobility policy should therefore require third-party due diligence, regular visa-status sweeps and written undertakings from labour suppliers.
![UAE introduces fines up to AED 5 million for harbouring illegal migrants, a warning to Hong Kong firms with Gulf operations]()
To navigate these shifting requirements more easily, Hong Kong firms can enlist specialised assistance. VisaHQ, via its local portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/), streamlines UAE work-permit applications, status amendments and document legalisation, giving HR teams an end-to-end compliance toolkit that keeps employee records audit-ready even as regulations evolve.
The harsher penalties arrive as more Hong Kong professionals relocate to the Gulf under UAE’s ten-year Golden Visa and Hong Kong–Dubai direct flights expand. Immigration advisers recommend that HR teams brief staff on the distinction between visit visas, mission visas and work permits, and insist on company-arranged housing to avoid inadvertent violations (for example, sub-letting to undocumented flat-mates).
Although the UAE rarely enforces maximum fines, recent high-profile raids on construction sites signal a zero-tolerance mood. Businesses caught employing illegals also face reputational damage that can jeopardise government tenders – a key revenue source for many Hong Kong engineering consultancies in the Gulf.
The move is part of a broader Emirati crackdown on visa misuse amid an influx of foreign workers during the post-pandemic construction boom. Authorities say undocumented labour undermines national security and distorts the labour market. The law also targets businesses that sponsor workers on tourist visas or fail to cancel residence permits after layoffs.
Hong Kong conglomerates operating logistics hubs in Jebel Ali, tech start-ups in Dubai Internet City, or retail franchises in Abu Dhabi must now tighten vendor-audit procedures. Under UAE joint-liability rules, a Hong Kong parent company can be fined if its local subsidiary, contractor or even accommodation provider is found housing infiltrators. Mobility policy should therefore require third-party due diligence, regular visa-status sweeps and written undertakings from labour suppliers.
To navigate these shifting requirements more easily, Hong Kong firms can enlist specialised assistance. VisaHQ, via its local portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/), streamlines UAE work-permit applications, status amendments and document legalisation, giving HR teams an end-to-end compliance toolkit that keeps employee records audit-ready even as regulations evolve.
The harsher penalties arrive as more Hong Kong professionals relocate to the Gulf under UAE’s ten-year Golden Visa and Hong Kong–Dubai direct flights expand. Immigration advisers recommend that HR teams brief staff on the distinction between visit visas, mission visas and work permits, and insist on company-arranged housing to avoid inadvertent violations (for example, sub-letting to undocumented flat-mates).
Although the UAE rarely enforces maximum fines, recent high-profile raids on construction sites signal a zero-tolerance mood. Businesses caught employing illegals also face reputational damage that can jeopardise government tenders – a key revenue source for many Hong Kong engineering consultancies in the Gulf.
