A Dubai airport employee has described the confusion and emotional toll of implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration, calling it a ‘heart-wrenching’ experience. The worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said staff were left to interpret the ban using news reports, with little guidance from US authorities.
The order, which bars entry to the US from seven Muslim-majority countries, led to scenes of distress at Dubai International Airport. Green card holders and dual US citizens were turned away, and a Syrian woman with a green card who had lived in the US for decades was stranded in the airport for 48 hours because she could not enter Dubai without a visa.
The employee noted that the airline database Timatic was not updated to reflect the ban, creating a ‘lottery system’ where passengers’ fates depended on the discretion of individual officials. Calls to US Customs and Border Protection yielded inconsistent answers, with some airports accepting passengers and others refusing them.
By the third day, procedures became more formalised, with green card holders allowed to board. However, the worker expressed anger at the policy, saying: ‘I’ve seen first-hand how this ridiculous order is ruining people’s lives.’
