Job Loss and Bounced Cheque Case Leave UAE Expat Family Facing Debt and Eviction.
Dubai: “The only reason I have not given up and continue to hold on to hope is because of my children,” said Raziya Razick, a Sri Lankan expatriate who has called the UAE home for the past decade.
Razick and her family are facing mounting financial and legal difficulties following a series of setbacks that began with her job loss last year. Her husband, Mohamed Waseem Ubaidulla, is currently facing a case related to a bounced cheque issued in 2019 and has been in detention since July in connection with the matter.
Razick herself is unable to travel due to an unpaid loan, leaving the family struggling to cope with their growing financial and legal burdens.
The couple’s three children, aged three, seven and 15, have been unable to attend school as the family struggles with mounting financial and legal difficulties. At times, even putting food on the table has become a daily challenge.
“We have not hurt anyone or tried to steal. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves caught in a cycle of financial difficulties that continued to pile up after I lost my job,” Razick said.
Despite repeatedly applying for jobs without success, she continues to look for work, hoping to rebuild her family’s life and regain financial stability.
“We built our home in the UAE, and for our children, this is the only life they know,” she said. “I just want to give my children a stable future. We want to stay in the UAE, but first, we need to resolve our financial and legal issues.”
A mounting financial burden
According to documents seen by Gulf News, Razick has submitted a request to the Dubai Court seeking permission to settle Dh56,236 in legal fees and penalties related to her husband’s bounced cheque case through monthly instalments.
Under the proposed payment plan, she would make an initial payment of Dh11,247, followed by monthly instalments of Dh4,498 over the next 10 months.
“Right now, even arranging the initial payment is impossible for us because we have no source of income,” she said.
The family’s financial difficulties began after Razick lost her job. Her husband later found new employment, and his employer began processing his work visa. However, the process could not be completed until he obtained his Sri Lankan Police Clearance Certificate.
However, before the certificate could be issued, a case was registered against him and a travel ban was imposed, preventing his new employer from securing the residence visa and work permit required to formalise his employment.
In addition to the bounced cheque linked to their previous home in Al Nahda, the couple has accumulated unpaid loans and credit card debt during prolonged periods of unemployment. Razick has an outstanding balance of Dh22,766 on one credit card and a further Dh11,200 on another.
“Because of my unpaid loan and outstanding dues, I cannot access my end-of-service benefits, which are currently frozen,” she said.
“For years, we have been trying to survive as we lost jobs one after another. Whenever possible, one of us would work while the other managed the family, simply to meet our daily needs,” she said.
Children bearing the brunt
Razick said the family’s ordeal has taken the greatest toll on her children.
“Our children are suffering the most. Every day, they ask when their father is coming home. They cry themselves to sleep because they miss him so much, especially our three-year-old, who cannot understand why his father is gone,” she said.
“They struggle to sleep at night, and I am deeply worried that the emotional stress is beginning to affect their health. They are not going to school, while they see their friends going to summer camps. As their mother, it is heartbreaking to watch them suffer when I have no answers to give them.”
The family is also at risk of losing their home in Al Muhaisnah after falling two months behind on rent.
“We fear we may be asked to vacate at any moment,” Razick said. “We are living with constant uncertainty, wondering how we will feed our children or where we will sleep if we lose our home.”
The family had hoped to remain in the UAE and continue building their lives there. However, mounting legal and financial pressures have made that increasingly difficult, and they are now considering returning to Sri Lanka to be closer to relatives.
A plea for help
“I am reaching out in the hope that our story can reach a good Samaritan. I have exhausted all my options, and because of our legal troubles, the choices available to us are limited. I am not asking for sympathy alone; I am asking for a chance,” Razick said.
Razick hopes her story will reach a charitable organisation or legal aid body that can help guide the family through the process of resolving their debts and legal obligations.
“We have never asked for luxury. We only want the opportunity to work honestly, settle our debts and provide a safe and stable future for our children,” she said.
