Thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have since availed of the amnesty program in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and most of them are just glad to be back home again.
But one OFW is ecstatic over the amnesty she received, not just because her huge fines were waived and she received free tickets for home but also because she’s gone home to marry her Emirati boyfriend in the Philippines!
Yunilyn Liamzon hails from Davao City in southern Philippines. When she first arrived at the UAE in 2010, she actually held a legitimate job as beautician in the city of Sharjah. She followed the legal processes to secure that job and everything went smoothly until the salon unexpectedly shut down the following year.
As she scrambled to find a new job, Yunilyn got one in Ajman. She didn’t have to go home and her new employer promised to process her visa and other relevant documents but months turned into years and the promise was forgotten.
In 2015, Yunilyn’s passport expired yet her employer refused to process her legal documents. She ended with hefty fines that reached nearly Dh170,000 (P2.4 million). She chose to forego paying the fines in 2016 when told that she could get a travel ban; for OFWs, that’s tantamount to ending your career and your chances of ever getting a job abroad again.
Thus, when the amnesty program was announced, Yunilyn was among those who scrambled to avail so she could fix her status and erase her bad record.
Aside from the fees getting waived and free tickets headed for the Philippines, Yunilyn also received welfare assistance of Dh365 (Php5,300) and an outpass from the Philippine Consulate worth Dh221 (Php3,200).
But Yunilyn was happiest in going home because she was accompanied by her Emirati boyfriend Ahmad Ali Alalili who paid for his own fare. The two plan on getting married in the Philippines – and the amnesty program was an answer to their prayers!
“I really want our wedding to happen in the Philippines so that my family can witness it,” Yunilyn said.
After the wedding and honeymoon tour in the Philippines, the two plan on going back to the UAE and raise their family there. Thanks to the amnesty program, this has been made possible…
