Irish citizens 'trapped' in Dubai over travel bans linked to legal disputes

Detained in Dubai, which provides legal assistance to people in the UAE, said it was concerned about Irish citizens who now cannot leave the country due to 'trivial bans'. Picture: AP/Altaf Qadri

Irish citizens are now trapped in Dubai by travel bans linked to civil disputes that are preventing them from fleeing the Middle East war, a legal organisation has warned.

Detained in Dubai, which provides legal assistance to people in the UAE, said it was concerned about Irish citizens who now cannot leave the country due to “trivial bans”.

The organisation says it has written to the Irish Government, and to other governments including the UK, US, and Australia, urging them to make diplomatic representations to the UAE to temporarily lift these bans so expatriates who wish to leave the region can do so safely.

Detained in Dubai said it had received a surge of calls from residents frightened by the situation and desperate for the option to return home.

Pets are also being abandoned by expatriates fleeing the country.

While many expatriates intend to remain in the UAE, others say they want the choice to leave with their families but are finding themselves legally unable to do so because of travel bans tied to civil disputes, employment complaints or unresolved administrative records.

“People are calling us in tears,” Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said.

“One British resident contacted us saying they simply want the choice to leave a country where missiles are falling nearby. They don’t know if the situation is going to get worse and they want to be able to take their family somewhere safe.

"Another Australian contacted us saying he cannot leave because of a travel ban, while his family back home are terrified watching the news and worrying about what might happen next.” 

One woman told Ms Stirling that after she reported being sexually assaulted by a senior executive at her company, she was suddenly hit with a series of labour complaints filed against her by the company.

“Most of the cases have since been resolved, but one claim worth just a few thousand pounds remains pending and has left her under a travel ban until the matter is heard in court," Ms Stirling said. 

"She denies the claim and believes it will ultimately be proven false, but in the meantime she remains unable to leave the country.” 

Ms Stirling said many of the restrictions preventing people from leaving are tied to disputes that are purely civil in nature, including rental disagreements, financial claims or employment complaints.

“In many countries, these would be straightforward civil matters handled through the courts without restricting someone’s freedom to leave,” she said. 

“But in the UAE these disputes can result in travel bans that effectively trap people in the country until the matter is resolved.

Nobody should feel trapped in a potential war zone. While some residents may feel comfortable remaining in Dubai, others may not. People must have the right to decide for themselves how they protect their families and where they feel safest.

Some expatriates who have secured flights out have reportedly been forced to leave pets behind because they cannot make the arrangements to move animals on short notice. Raphaella Stirling, a Crisis Manager at Detained in Dubai confirmed she has been liaising with distraught expats desperately seeking help for their pets as they fled.

“People are being placed in the heartbreaking position of having to leave pets behind because they are trying to get their families to safety,” Miss Stirling said.

Detained in Dubai is also raising concerns about detainees who have already been scheduled for deportation or release from prison but remain in custody because flights out of the region have been disrupted.

“Once someone has been scheduled for deportation, continued imprisonment raises serious legal concerns,” Ms Stirling said. “After all, there is no specific end date on the crisis.

“If detainees remain incarcerated beyond the point at which they should have been deported, their detention risks becoming arbitrary. Those individuals should be prioritised for removal on any government evacuation or repatriation flights.”