Dubai :  The United Arab Emirates has announced a two-month amnesty asking illegal residents to either leave the country without penalty or regularise their visas.

The amnesty will apply only to those who have overstayed their visit or resident visas in the UAE and not infiltrators, who would be treated like criminals.

Illegal residents, who have overstayed their visas can visit residency departments across the UAE to obtain outpasses and leave the country without penalties. They can also regularise their visas after paying fines between December 4 and February 3.

The country had announced a similar amnesty in 2007 during which 342,000 illegal immigrants either legalised their stay or left the country. Around 300,000 illegal immigrants left the country under another amnesty, which ran between January and April, 2002.

Similarly in 1996, about 200,000 illegal residents left the country under a six-month long amnesty. Illegal foreigners, who are under arrest in the country, will also be allowed to leave the country as long as they do not have any pending cases.

Residency departments across the country will be organising several awareness campaigns and press briefings to educate the public about the amnesty and the need for illegal residents to take advantage of this gesture.