Following the arrest of several Iranian teachers in the United Arab Emirates over work permit issues, the Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d’affaires of the UAE Embassy in Tehran, in the absence of the ambassador.
Expressing concern over the arrest of the teachers who are working in the Iranian School in Abu Dhabi, Foreign Ministry officials directed the charge d’affairs to address the problem and release the teachers soon, IRNA reported.
Seven days ago, nine male and 13 female teachers were arrested for “working illegally” in Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi.
A few days later, the female teachers were released on bail. The male teachers remain in detention.
Emirati officials said the teachers’ work permits which were issued in Dubai, are invalid in Abu Dhabi. However, the teachers who got the work permits in Dubai have been working in the Iranian School in Abu Dhabi for several years without encountering any problems.
The Ministry of Education says that according to the UAE government’s official permission granted to the Iranian consulate, Iranian teachers can work in any of the emirates in the UAE until the end of 2016.
But Emirati official say they have issued verbal and written warnings to the Iranian embassy in the UAE over the problem in recent years, adding that all foreign teachers who come to the UAE to work must have valid work permits.
Meanwhile, the trial of the teachers which was going to take place on Monday was delayed “due to unknown reasons.”
