Will Banks in Dubai, Hunt Me Down in Canada? – Kent

Kent wrote to me through the GetOutOfDebt.org site and asked the following question. If you have a credit or debt question you’d like to ask just use the online form. I’m happy to help you totally for free.

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“Hi Steve,

I left Dubai without paying my credit card bills with 2 int’l. banks. I am now here in Canada on a permanent resident status. Can they trace me here? I am worried that it might adversely affects my application for Citizenship should I apply after 3 to 4 years. I am really stressed now.

Thanks,

Kent”

The Answer:

 

Dear Kent,

It is highly unlikely that anyone will hunt you down in Canada. However, saying that, since you have a residual debt in Dubai and if an arrest was issued for you because of the debt, it may be possible to impact your application for citizenship. Here is what Canada has to say about this issue:

You cannot become a citizen if you:

  • have been convicted of an indictable (criminal) offence or an offence under the Citizenship Act in the three years before you apply
  • are currently charged with an indictable offence or an offence under the Citizenship Act
  • are in prison, on parole or on probation
  • are under a removal order (have been ordered by Canadian officials to leave Canada)
  • are under investigation for, are charged with, or have been convicted of a war crime or a crime against humanity or
  • have had your Canadian citizenship taken away in the past five years.
  • If you are on probation or are charged with an offence and are awaiting trial, you should wait until after the probation has ended or the trial is over to apply for citizenship.

However, Canada is not clear if this only pertains to the Canadian legal system or other countries as well.

I think the best and safest thing for you to do is to contact an immigration lawyer now in Canada for specific advice regarding your situation.

Big Hug!

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  • David

    What about this? I left UAE about 2 years now and I have default my payment for about 8 months now. The banks use the same method like travelban, police, Interpol etc. I am still in one of GCC country. Am I going to be arrested when I leave for vacation or back after my vacation or both?

  • Guest

    Hey Jonny, that local collection agency has no legal ground to call and claim Dubai’s debt in sweden. So get advice from a local lawyer and stop them of bothering you.

  • Jonny

    Hi Steve,

    I’ve left Dubai back to Europe, leaving 100,000 AED of credit card debts behind (not even counting interests and other accumulated extras). The bank has been calling me constantly using all the threats in the book such as travelban, police, Interpol etc. Since they have my home phonenumber they now have the address and the other day I got a claim from a collection agency here in Sweden which again was contracted by the company who was handed over the claim from Firt Gulf Bank to London. I know have to respond to this as it is with a local collection agency. I guess the bottomline here is IF a swedish collection agency has a LEGAL jurisdiction for claiming a debt in Sweden that was clearly under UAE law from day one? Can you advice if it worthwhile to obkect vto to this claim?

    • Guest

      Hey Jonny, that local collection agency has no legal ground to call and claim Dubai’s debt in sweden. So get advice from a local lawyer and stop them of bothering you.

  • Marcellino

    Dear Steve,

    I got terminated from dubai upon comming back from vacation .. i had my passport with me .. so i left dubai .. i have a credit card from a national bank and they are calling me almost everyweek .. do u think they can trace me to Beirut Lebanon ??

  • Christopher

    Dear Steve,

    I left Dubai 4.5 months ago due to the economic meltdown that was going on there. I left owing 4 different banks. Large amounts too. I got emails from one of the banks stating that a international travel ban has been issued against me. I do understand if I travel to any GCC country that I will be arrested. It would be stupid to go there. Can they issue the travel ban to where I can never travel anywhere in the world because of the debt I owe in the UAE?

    Regards,
    Christopher

    • Banker

      Christopher,

      Don’t panic, the Dubai banks and debt collectors use this line as scare tactics to entice you into communication with them. Basically, you are free to travel anywhere in the world that you wish, so long as it isn’t the UAE. So when making flight arrangements, be sure that you won’t be making and stopovers in Dubai or else you may be in for a shock.

      Hope this helps

  • Kent

    Great. It helps a lot. Thanks…

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