The government has decreed to allow illegal workers, whose number is estimated at around 300,000 people, to choose between getting a work permit within three months or leave the country without facing a penalty, Labour Minister Ali Abdallah al-Kaabi was quoted as saying.

Under UAE law, expatriates working illegally face up to 10 years in jail followed by deportation.

Employers of illegal workers could be imprisoned for one month and face a fine of 50,000 dirhams (13,600 dollars).

Around 80 percent of the 4.1 million inhabitants of the UAE are expatriates, mainly from Asian countries, according to official statistics.

The oil-rich UAE attracts huge numbers of Asians seeking work, mainly as labourers and domestic workers, but many stay on after their visas expire. Entry into the Emirates also requires a local sponsor.