HomeInterpol Yellow Notice in Dubai
Dubai is a global crossroads. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people pass through its international airports, making the emirate one of the busiest transit hubs in the world. This intense population mobility, unfortunately, also has a downside: in such a dynamic environment, people, especially the vulnerable, can get lost, become victims of abduction, or simply disappear under unexplained circumstances. It is precisely for such situations that Interpol’s Yellow Notices system is designed.
The UAE authorities, and specifically the Dubai police, actively use this tool. It is important to immediately clarify: a yellow notice has nothing to do with criminal prosecution. Unlike the widely known red notice, which requests the arrest of a person for extradition, a yellow notice is purely humanitarian in nature. Its sole purpose is to locate a missing person or assist in identifying someone who cannot do so themselves. It is not an arrest warrant. It is an international call for help.
In the context of Dubai, a magnet city for tourists and expatriates, this system takes on special significance. It is used to search for people missing in the UAE or to identify individuals found without documents, possibly as a result of an accident, heatstroke, or sudden memory loss.
What is the yellow notice of Interpol?
A Yellow Notice is an official international police request published by the General Secretariat of Interpol at the request of one of the 196 member countries. Its purpose is clearly defined by the organization’s rules, in particular, the Interpol’s Rules on the Processing of Data (RPD).
This tool is designed to alert police services worldwide about a missing person. The notice contains all key identification information:
- Full name and pseudonyms.
- Date of birth, gender, citizenship.
- Physical features (height, hair color, eyes).
- Distinctive features (scars, tattoos, birthmarks).
- Photographs and, if available, fingerprints.
- Circumstances of disappearance.
The information from the yellow notice is entered into Interpol’s secure global database I-24/7. This database is accessible to border services, immigration officers, and police patrols in all member countries, including every border checkpoint at airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The key difference from the Red Notice
To understand the essence of the yellow notice, it is extremely important to draw a clear distinction from the red notice. They are often confused, but their legal consequences are diametrically opposed.
A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. It is based on an active national arrest warrant. The detection of such a person in Dubai will lead to immediate detention and the initiation of the extradition process.
A Yellow Notice is a request to determine the whereabouts of a victim or a missing person. It is not based on an arrest warrant. Locating such a person in Dubai will not lead to an arrest but to protective measures. The police will ensure the person’s safety, establish their identity, and immediately contact the country that initiated the search to arrange for a safe return or reunion with their family.
Goals of the Yellow notice
The global mission of yellow notices comes down to two main tasks, which are especially relevant for a multinational city like Dubai.
Search for missing persons. This is the most common reason for issuing a notice. It includes a variety of scenarios:
- International child abduction by one of the parents. This is an acute problem for the UAE, where many mixed families reside. If one of the foreign parents, contrary to a court decision, takes the child to the UAE (or out of the UAE), the other parent can initiate a yellow notice through their country’s police. Border control in Dubai, upon detecting the child, will act according to the notice.
- Criminal kidnappings. Although the level of violent crime in Dubai is extremely low, the risk of kidnapping, especially in the context of international criminal disputes, cannot be ruled out.
- Inexplicable disappearances. A tourist could go to the desert and not return. An expatriate suffering from depression could leave home in an unknown direction. A yellow notice mobilizes international resources for their search.
Identification of individuals unable to name themselves. This goal is no less important. A person may be found alive but unable to report who they are.
- Victims of accidents. In the UAE, there is intense road traffic. A victim of a traffic accident may be taken to the hospital unconscious and without documents.
- Medical conditions. People suffering from amnesia, dementia (for example, an elderly relative of an expatriate), or a severe mental disorder can be found by the Dubai police.
- Found children. A child who is too young to name themselves or their parents can also become the subject of a yellow notice to establish their identity.
In all these cases, the Dubai police use the notice data to match the found person with missing persons databases worldwide.
Who can become the subject of a yellow notice in the UAE?
The demographic structure of the UAE, where expatriates make up almost 90% of the population, determines the specifics of applying yellow notices. The authorities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi regularly face requests or initiate them themselves regarding specific vulnerable groups.
A request for a yellow notice can be initiated either by the UAE authorities (if a person has gone missing on their territory) or by any other country (if there are grounds to believe that the missing person may be in Dubai or transiting through it). Most often, the subjects are:
Minor children This is an absolute priority. Yellow notices are critically important in disputes over international custody. The UAE has its own personal status laws, often based on Sharia principles, which may differ from court decisions in Western countries. A yellow notice serves as a neutral police tool that records the fact of a child being sought and compels border services to check custody documents when attempting to cross the border.
Tourists and transit passengersDubai annually receives tens of millions of visitors. A tourist who has fallen behind their group, sustained an injury, or become a victim of a crime can be quickly identified thanks to this system.
Vulnerable adults This includes elderly people with cognitive impairments (Alzheimer’s disease, dementia), as well as individuals with mental illnesses or those in a state of severe stress that has led to disorientation.
Presumed victims of human trafficking A person rescued from a situation of exploitation is often without a passport (which may have been taken by the perpetrator) and may be too frightened to communicate with authorities. A Yellow Notice helps establish their identity and country of origin.
The process of issuance
The procedure for issuing a Yellow Notice is strictly regulated by Interpol to ensure compliance with human rights and prevent abuse of the system.
1. National appeal (Police statement) Everything starts at the local level. For the UAE to initiate a yellow notice, relatives or guardians must first file a missing person report at the local police station (for example, Dubai Police). Similarly, if a person is missing in France, the family contacts the French police.
2. Assessment of the National Central Bureau (NCB) Each member country of Interpol has its own National Central Bureau (NCB). In the UAE, it is located in Abu Dhabi. The local police (Dubai) transfer the case to the UAE NCB. NCB officers assess whether the case truly requires international intervention. If the person is most likely within the country, an international search is not initiated. However, if there are suspicions that they may have crossed the border (or were abducted abroad), the NCB prepares a request.
3. The request to the General Secretariat of Interpol: the NCB UAE (or any other country) sends an official request for the publication of a yellow notice to the General Secretariat of Interpol, located in Lyon, France. The request must contain comprehensive information about the missing person and the circumstances of the case.
4. Compliance CheckThis is a key stage. The Legal Department of the General Secretariat reviews each request. The main rule is that the request must comply with the INTERPOL Constitution. In particular, it must not have a political, military, religious, or racial character (Article 3 of the Constitution). It is also verified that the request does not violate human rights. For example, a request to locate an adult who voluntarily severed ties with their family may be rejected as a violation of the right to privacy.
5. Publication in the I-24/7 systemAfter approval, the notice is published. It immediately becomes available to all 196 countries. It is important to note that countries themselves decide whether the notice will be public (visible on the official INTERPOL website) or restricted (accessible only to law enforcement agencies). In cases of missing children, they are often made public to draw public attention.
Contact our lawyers for Interpol cases in Dubai
Although the yellow notice is a humanitarian measure, legal complexities can arise at any moment. Misuse of the system or complex accompanying circumstances (for example, family disputes) require professional legal intervention. Turning to lawyers in Dubai specializing in UAE legislation and Interpol procedures is necessary in several situations.
When might you need legal assistance?
International disputes over child custody. If you are a parent against whom a yellow notice has been issued on charges of child abduction, you face serious legal consequences in the UAE. You need a lawyer to represent your custody rights in UAE courts and challenge the notice if it was obtained fraudulently or contradicts local court rulings.
Removal of outdated notice. A person could have been found, but due to a bureaucratic error, the notice was not removed from the databases. This can lead to constant detentions at Dubai airport and unpleasant interrogations. Lawyers will help initiate the data removal procedure.
Abuse of the system. In rare cases, the system may be used dishonestly. For example, to search for an adult who is voluntarily hiding from their family due to threats or violence. In such a situation, it is necessary to prove to Interpol that the search violates human rights.
If you or your loved ones are faced with a situation related to a yellow notice from Interpol in Dubai, do not try to resolve the issue on your own. Contact our law firm for a confidential consultation. We will help protect your rights and ensure your safety.
FAQ
What is an Interpol Yellow Notice in Dubai used for?
An Interpol Yellow Notice is a global police alert used to help locate missing persons. In Dubai and the UAE, this tool is crucial, particularly for locating minors who may have been victims of parental abduction across borders. It is also used for adults who have disappeared under unclear circumstances or who are unable to identify themselves (e.g., due to a medical condition). UAE law enforcement collaborates with Interpol to share photographs, fingerprints, and case details worldwide, increasing the chances of safely finding and recovering a missing individual who may have entered or transited through Dubai.
How does the UAE handle an Interpol Yellow Notice for a missing person?
When the UAE receives an Interpol Yellow Notice, authorities like the Dubai Police and border control are immediately alerted. The missing person’s details are flagged in the system. This means if the person (especially a child in an abduction case) attempts to pass through a UAE airport or border, an alert is triggered. This allows authorities to intervene, ensure the person’s safety, and contact the relevant agencies. This proactive system is vital in Dubai, one of the world’s busiest travel hubs, to prevent international parental kidnapping and assist in humanitarian cases.
