July 9, 2013 Tuesday when the new Qatar Rules on ID card spread all over the social medias and even in emails as well as memo disseminated by embassies of different country. This morning Peninsula newspaper published the clarifications made by officials regarding to the confusion of many expatriates regarding the 10,000 QR fine .
BY MOBIN PANDIT and MOHAMED OSMAN
DOHA: It is not a crime punishable with a fine if an expatriate does
not carry with him his Qatar identity (ID) card, a senior official from
the Ministry of Interior has clarified.
However, if one refuses to produce any identification document (ID or
passport) despite the insistence of a law-enforcement official, he would
be taken to task.
He would be referred to the court at the ministry’s Search and
Follow-Up Department (SFD) through the department’s prosecution. The
court can impose a fine of up to QR10,000 on such a person. That is the
maximum fine, but if he admits his mistake with the Prosecution, he
could walk away with a “reconciliatory” fine of QR1,000.
And even if the erring person is referred to the SFD court by the
Prosecution, the court could impose a fine of just QR1,000. “It is the
court’s discretion.”
The Director of the SFD, Brigadier Nasser Mohamed Eisa Al Sayed, told
The Peninsula yesterday that sleuths from his department always demand
ID from suspects.
For example, someone driving late in the night can be stopped by the SFD personnel and asked to produce his identification.
In situations where someone is unable to produce ID or passport, one
would be held back until one proves who he is. “Once you prove who you
are, you can walk away.”
Asked what happens to people who go on long walks or jog or do some
sporting activity and leave their IDs behind in their cars, Al Sayed
said: “ID is always demanded from suspects, not from such people”.
The official said sections of the local media have carried misleading
reports, creating confusion on the ID issue. “What they have reported is
not true.”
The reports that went viral on the local social media were based on an
interface of the Interior Ministry with representatives of expatriate
communities on Sunday. Many people found it surprising that such a huge
fine could be imposed for not carrying one’s ID.
Al Sayed reiterated: “You are committing a crime only when you refuse
to produce any identification document on the insistence of a
law-enforcement official. Just not carrying your ID isn’t an offence
punishable with a fine.”
Talking about passports of expatriates, the SFD Director said that
legally the employee should keep it with him. Many companies and
personal sponsors prefer to keep the passports of their expatriate
employees. This is to avoid complications like delay in getting an
employee’s residence permit (RP) renewed in time because it is a
sponsor’s responsibility.
“Workers sometimes forget to renew their RPs if they have their passports with them,” said Al Sayed.
However, if a worker asks for his passport from his employer, he must
give it to him. “If he refuses, the worker can approach the SFD and file
a formal complaint. Action would be taken against the sponsor because
he doesn’t have the right to refuse to part with an employee’s
passport”.
About the ministry’s meeting (seminar on issues like community policing
and visa and related issues) with the expatriate communities, Al Sayed
said he didn’t attend it. “I wasn’t there but sections of the print
media have even used my file picture with the misleading report about
the ID issue, while the presentation was actually made by a colleague.”
The Peninsula
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