A Continuing Humanitarian Crisis at Dubai International Airport

KARACHI: The modern and dazzling-looking Dubai International Airport remains one of the key landing and transit points for millions of passengers every year, but for some their dream journey turns into a nightmare once they land at its Terminal 2.

Behind all the facade of Dubai Airport’s much-trumpeted efficiency and welcoming signs, many passengers are subjected to some grave human rights violations, including detentions and maltreatment, on flimsiest charges daily without any legal recourse for days. In some cases, even the charges are not shared with them immediately.

There are growing complaints by many unsuspecting passengers, who select Emirates Airlines for their dream journey, of ending up in detention cells for those alleged minor offences which many neither remember nor are even told about by the Dubai Immigration and Crime Investigation Department (CID) for days and weeks.

If you are one of the victims of any maltreatment, detention or victimisation at the Dubai Airport while boarding your connecting flight, and have been subject to one of the following scenarios, do connect with us and share your story. In greater public interest, we will raise it at various media platforms to ensure that your story gets noticed by the UAE authorities so that they can take steps to safeguard the interests of international/foreign passengers and give them fair, just and honourable treatment.

1) Have you been detained during transit or a connecting flight without surrendering your passport to the immigration counters while entering or exiting the UAE?

2) Do you know that the general arrival area of airports — before a passenger reaches the immigration counters — is not governed by the law of the land? That’s why there are no local police there and it is manned by the special airport security police operating across the world under different names only to ensure safety and security at the facility?

3) In case of detention, was any mechanism shared with you under which you could instantly contact or inform your relatives or get in touch with a lawyer or did it take many days just to get this basic facility?

4) Did your detention take place ahead of the weekend or at a time of long official holidays (say five to eight days) when no government office, courts or law enforcement agency offices were open in the UAE and you had to wait for days to start the legal relief process?

5) Hundreds of such complaints against the ill treatment at the Dubai Airport are never reported on the traditional and social media because victims refrain from highlighting their ordeal. As a result, such human rights violations continue at the Dubai Airport.

6) Do you know that as per a conservative estimate, the Dubai CID/police are increasing their performance efficiency graph by 15% every month by holding unsuspecting passengers on flimsy charges or even without sharing any reason for action against them? But such detentions violate basic human rights.

7) Dubai claims to be the ‘Number 1’ in everything, but at the airport we need to know what is the ‘Number 1′ solution in case of any unnecessary detention as the officials there appear unwilling to help, guide and even uninterested in work. Rather, their focus appears to be how to harass passengers and make their journey/visit miserable. Did you face any experience at the Dubai Airport?

8) Has Emirates Airlines ever apologized or compensated to a passenger being unfairly treated at the Dubai Airport? The continued reporting of such incidents is hurting Emirates’ brand as it appears as a dragnet laid down by the bounty-hunters to catch innocent passengers on transit/connecting flights.

If you faced any such situation at the Dubai Airport, please write to us. Your response will not just highlight your issue but perhaps help other passengers, who want to have safe and dignified travel. Therefor, come forward and share your story: [email protected]