A Grandad Stranded for a Decade in Dubai Claims He Hasn’t Eaten for Four Days
John Murphy, a 59-year-old grandfather from Limerick, Ireland, has found himself trapped in Dubai for an unimaginable ten years under harrowing circumstances. A former British military serviceman, Murphy moved to the UAE seeking to build a new life. However, his journey was derailed when he was arrested in Abu Dhabi a decade ago for allegedly offending hotel security — a charge he was eventually acquitted of, but which has left him in legal and personal limbo ever since.
The Arrest and Its Aftermath
Despite being found innocent, Murphy was detained while awaiting trial. This period of imprisonment had severe consequences, including accruing rent arrears that led his former landlord to sue him. Following his release, Murphy was slapped with a travel ban, had his passport confiscated, and saw his belongings seized. These restrictions effectively barred him from leaving the country or resuming normal life, confining him to Dubai without means to work or relocate.
Living in a Legal Limbo
For ten years, Murphy has been caught in what is described by Detained in Dubai — an international authority on UAE law — as an “inescapable legal limbo.” Although released from jail, his travel ban remains in place, rendering him stuck in a foreign land with no clear way out. The organization’s CEO, Radha Stirling, paints a grim picture of Murphy’s plight, highlighting his deteriorating health due to serious medical and dental problems and his complete abandonment in a foreign country.
Survival Struggles on the Streets
Murphy’s situation has become desperate. His legal team reports that he has been forced to sleep on public transportation and use mall restrooms for basic hygiene. In an emotional message, Murphy revealed, “I haven’t eaten in four days. I’ve been on the streets for three weeks. I try to ride the metro all day to rest, but security chase me away. I wash in mall toilets, I’ve been in the same clothes for weeks, and my health is failing.” He further emphasized an urgent need for cancer treatment and dental care, with nowhere to turn for help.
A System That Traps and Fails
Though homelessness is illegal in the UAE, Murphy’s attempts to surrender to police were rejected, leaving him in a brutal catch-22 — unable to leave the country, unable to be arrested to resolve his case, and unable to survive adequately. Stirling calls this situation “outrageous,” branding it a consequence of a system that criminalizes debt and traps people in cycles of poverty and despair. “He is being left to die in plain sight,” Stirling asserted.
Calls for Government Intervention
Murphy holds both Irish and UK passports and has relatives back home in Limerick and Dublin waiting to help. Despite this, both the British and Irish governments have yet to secure his release. Stirling criticized the lack of intervention from Ireland and Britain, contrasting it with past efforts by the Trump administration to repatriate American citizens from the UAE. “Ireland cannot abandon one of its own citizens, especially a grandfather found innocent, to die on the streets of Dubai,” she insisted while also acknowledging the Irish government’s record in aiding citizens unjustly detained abroad.
Community Support and Fundraising Efforts
In response to Murphy’s dire situation, a friend has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise awareness and hopefully fuel efforts to bring him home. Both the British and Irish embassies have been contacted, although no guarantees of assistance have been offered. His story is a stark reminder of the complex and often harsh realities faced by expatriates caught in foreign legal and bureaucratic entanglements.
Murphy’s case continues to draw attention as advocates push for urgent action, highlighting the urgent need to reconsider legal frameworks that leave innocent people stranded and destitute far from home.
