How UAE's KSh 35 Million Fines Shield Kenyan Migrants from Fake Jobs

Kenyan jobseekers heading to the United Arab Emirates face stronger legal protections under new rules that impose fines of up to KSh 35 million on employers who issue fake work permits or leave migrant workers without actual jobs.

Announced on Friday, 23 October 2026, by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, led by Minister Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, the regulations target five prevalent labour violations. The penalties range from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, equivalent to roughly KSh 3.5 million to KSh 35 million.

The crackdown directly addresses fraudulent practices that have long burdened the Kenyan government and families back home. For years, the Ministry of Labour and the State Department for Diaspora Affairs have grappled with emergency repatriations, legal assistance costs, and financial distress among families trapped by recruitment debts after relatives arrived abroad to find no jobs waiting for them.

The UAE ministry identified five specific offences that attract the maximum fine of Dh1 million. These include hiring workers without valid permits, leaving recruited workers without actual duties, misusing work permits for unauthorised job categories, closing businesses without regularising employees' legal status, and employing minors in violation of labour regulations.

These rules hit hardest in sectors that employ tens of thousands of Kenyans across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other emirates, including construction, hospitality, retail, security, and domestic service. Practices such as "idle sponsorship", where workers are brought in on visas but left stranded without income or duties, leave individuals vulnerable to deportation and extreme financial pressure.

Alongside the penalties, the UAE outlined 12 official work permit categories covering overseas recruitment, employer transfers, family-sponsored residents, temporary assignments, part-time jobs, student employment, juvenile workers, Golden Visa holders, and private tutors. Kenyan authorities advise prospective workers to verify their exact permit details and employment terms before travelling.