The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai announced the seizure of 366 fake documents and travel papers from passengers passing through Dubai airports during the first quarter of this year. This success is attributed to the readiness of its trained national personnel and the possession of advanced technologies capable of detecting fake documents within 30 to 60 seconds.
Aqeel Ahmed Al-Najjar, an expert advisor in the Document Examination Department at “Dubai Residency,” explained that the total number of forgery cases detected by the Document Examination Center in the first quarter of this year was 366, compared to 355 cases in the same period in 2023. Last year, 16,127 documents were examined, of which 1,232 were found to be fake, leading to 443 cases being referred to the Public Prosecution.
He noted that the administration established the Document and Paper Examination Center, which has been accredited by the courts and judicial bodies in the country since its launch in 2018. The center focuses solely on examining travel documents and related papers, including passports, travel documents, identity cards, entry permits, and residency cards (such as the U.S. Green Card). The examination process involves all security features, stamps, and electronic chips associated with these documents. The center boasts a fully equipped laboratory with the latest precision technologies in this field.
National Workforce
Al-Najjar emphasized that the center operates with 100% national workforce, who have acquired sufficient expertise through continuous training and qualification. This includes 1,500 passport officers at Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3 (for entry and exit), and 30 document examiners, all of whom are nationals.
He confirmed that the center provides services to all relevant state entities, including training services for some airlines and their employees responsible for verifying passenger identities and managing boarding. The center also assists any entity wishing to verify the authenticity of documents and papers, including individuals needing such services, such as those acquiring foreign passports through intermediaries and wishing to verify their authenticity, or passports referred to the center by the general residency and foreigners affairs administrations in the state or various entities. These documents belong to individuals who have changed their nationalities and obtained new passports from certain countries, seeking to update their identity and residency data recorded with those administrations. The center examines the passports to verify their authenticity.
Furthermore, the examination process includes outgoing passengers referred to the judicial authorities if found carrying fake or counterfeit travel documents, whether they were aware of it or were victims misled by someone. The prosecution, courts, and judicial authorities handle their cases. Incoming passengers with fake travel documents or passports are denied entry and immediately returned to the authorities and countries they came from.
