Authorities in the UAE have helped reunite a construction worker with his family in India after he lived illegally in the Emirates for 15 years. Durgaiah Dobbali had no legal documents and faced more than half a million dirhams in fines for overstaying.

The penalties on Mr Dobbali, 47, were waived after a social worker in Dubai, immigration authorities and the Indian consulate worked for weeks to help him leave the country legally.

On March 18, te reached his home in Karimnagar, near Hyderabad in Telangana state. “I am very happy to see my children and wife after so long,” said Mr Dobbali, who has worked on construction sites in Sharjah since 2005.

After he arrived in Dubai on a visit visa, his passport was taken by a recruitment agent. Mr Dobbali said he initially tried to obtain legal work documents but as overstay fines mounted, he kept working so he could continue to send money home.

He sent about Dh1,000 each month and lived on Dh500.“When possible, I would try and send money,” he said. “I did what I could because my family is very poor. I needed money for their education and to pay for my daughter’s medicines.” Mr Dobbali’s eldest daughter needs regular medical care. “My children would ask me when I would come home. I kept telling them to study,” he said. “I will keep working hard in any job or in the fields [in agriculture] to earn for my family.”

Mr Dobbali still owes Rs100,000 (Dh4,900) that he took as a loan from people in India. His 25-year-old son recently began working in retail, which has given the family some hope.

Girish Pant, a volunteer social worker who works with the Indian consulate, helped to highlight Mr Dobbali’s case. Read More