The rules draw a distinction between two types of deportation, judicial and administrative, each with separate procedures and authorities.
According to tuko.co.ke, the United Arab Emirates has outlined five categories of foreign nationals who are prohibited from entering the country, with the restrictions anchored in the Executive Regulation of Law No. 6 of 1973 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners.
What types of deportation are in the UAE?
The UAE operates two distinct deportation frameworks, with judicial deportation handed down by a court against foreigners convicted of a felony carrying a custodial sentence.
Under Article 121 of Law No. 3 of 1987 on the Penal Code, as amended by Federal Law No. 34 of 2005 and Federal Decree-Law No. 7 of 2016, any foreigner sentenced for a felony or a crime involving sexual assault must be deported.
For lesser offences, a court may order expulsion as an alternative to imprisonment. Administrative deportation, by contrast, is issued by the Federal Identity and Citizenship Authority (FICA) and does not require a court ruling.
It can be applied in the interest of public security, public morality, public health, or where a foreigner has no apparent means of living, and it may extend to dependants of the person being deported.
A foreigner subject to an administrative deportation order may apply to the relevant General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs in their emirate to have it lifted.
Under the same regulation, the UAE maintains a blacklist of individuals barred from entering or leaving the country.
The five categories of people who can be added to this list are:
1. Persons previously convicted of crimes and ordered deported by a competent court.
2. Persons deported through administrative orders under Article 23 of Law No. 6 of 1973
3. Persons whose activities have been flagged by the International Criminal Cooperation Department.
4. Persons confirmed to be suffering from HIV/AIDS or other diseases classified as dangerous to public health by the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
5. Persons deported from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for criminal
Separately, the UAE maintains an administrative list covering individuals such as domestic workers who cancelled their residency before their employment contracts expired, persons who absconded from sponsors and were reported to police, and those against whom an administrative deportation order was issued.
How does one lift a UAE ban?
A deported foreigner wishing to return to the UAE must obtain special permission from the director general of FICA, as specified under Article 28 of Law No. 6 of 1973.
Any application must include full details of previous residency, reasons for the original deportation, and supporting documentation explaining the change in circumstances.
Where financial interests remain unresolved at the time of deportation, a foreigner may be granted a grace period of up to three months after posting bail, during which those matters can be settled before departure.
