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Drink and disembark, but act sober in Dubai
View(s):Passengers travelling from Colombo and disembarking in Dubai will not be subjected to “automatic arrest” if they consume alcohol on flights, a senior official of the Emirates’ airline said yesterday.
The assurance came after international human rights groups raised issue over the arrest of a Swedish born British resident and her detention in Dubai along with her four-year-old daughter over charges that she had a glass of wine on an Emirates Airline flight from London. The passenger, a dentist, had complained that the immigration officer was rude to her because she had admitted to having a glass of wine on the flight to Dubai.
Chandana de Silva, Emirates Area Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, told the Sunday Times that passengers could drink a “reasonable amount of alcohol” and they would not be at risk of arrest on landing unless they were visibly intoxicated and acting in a manner that inconvenienced the general public.
Mr de Silva said that Dubai was a very “customer-friendly city” and continued to be a popular destination for travellers from Sri Lanka and elsewhere. The airline operates four flights a day between Colombo and Dubai, and it is a popular connection to destinations in Europe, Africa and the Americas.
Dr Ellie Holman, who is originally from Sweden but lives in England, had reportedly been facing a year in detention while awaiting a court hearing. However, she was released last week after the Dubai Attorney General’s Office decided to drop the charges.
Foreign media, quoting the human rights group ‘Detained in Dubai,’ reported that Dr Holman had been taken into custody after an Immigration Officer questioned her about her visa and whether she had consumed alcohol.
The group claimed that the dentist and her young daughter were initially denied access to a toilet, water and food while being held in a cell for three days.
The Dubai Attorney General’s office, however, released a statement last Saturday (11th) dismissing the claim that Dr Holman was arrested for drinking a glass of wine and allegations of ill treatment while in detention. The statement, quoting Dubai’s Attorney General Esam Issa Al Humaidan said that the accused had attempted to enter the UAE on an expired Swedish passport, and had grown abusive towards an immigration officer.
The statement added a legal claim was issued against Ms. Holman on charges of profanity and photographing a government official at the border crossing, a restricted area.
“The woman and her child remained together in the airport security office for less than 24 hours while services were provided to them, taking into full account and consideration of her four-year-old daughter. Her father received her immediately upon his arrival and they subsequently departed the country. The prosecution decided to drop the charges against Ms.Hollman and to deport her instead,” the statement said.