American Student Stuck in UAE as Dubai Layover Turns into 4-Month Legal Nightmare

A woman’s ten-hour layover at the Dubai International Airport has reportedly turned into a four-month legal nightmare after an alleged altercation landed the traveler on the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) no-fly list and a year in jail in the foreign country.

Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, a 21-year-old American student traveling through Dubai International Airport after vacationing in Turkey, was involved in a confrontation with customs officials on July 14 when she reportedly tapped an airport security officer on the arm during a strip search. The altercation resulted in months-long court appeals, according to a report by the New Zealand Herald.

This week, De Los Santos, who was forbidden from traveling home, was sentenced to a year behind bars, despite paying a fine of AED 10,000 ($2,722 USD), Daily Mail reported.

The 21-year-old and her travel companion had decided to spend a long layover in the Emirati travel hub, according to a press release from the London-based organization Detained in Dubai, which seeks to help travelers who are stuck in situations like this while abroad.

“We thought it would be a more modern and futuristic city but we were completely wrong,” De Los Santos said.

The New York college student was reportedly held up at airport screening on July 14 over a surgical “waist trainer” corset she had been wearing.

De Los Santos was taken to a private room for additional screening after her corset’s underwiring had set off detectors. From there, female airport employees told her to take off the garment, to which the student replied that she had recently undergone surgery and was advised by a medical professional to wear it.

The experience left De Los Santos feeling “violated,” she said. She was later accused of “assaulting and insulting” Dubai airport staff, which she denies, saying she had only “gently touched [an airport employee’s] arm to guide her out of the way.”

De Los Santos was then prohibited from boarding her July 15 flight. She is still reportedly being held in the UAE pending a verdict.

Detained in Dubai explained that the UAE has an automatic appeal process that could result in De Los Santos being held in the country almost indefinitely.

“Even if Elizabeth wins her case, 6 months or more of being forced to stay in the country at her own cost while under the very real threat of imprisonment, is an unacceptable consequence of transiting through Dubai,” Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, told the New Zealand Herald.

Stirling reportedly believes that customs officials are appealing the decision, expecting that a court might award them some type of compensation.

“The government of Dubai should stop this type of corruption by banning government employees from being able to accept out of court settlements for criminal complaints,” Stirling said.

“It is too much of an incentive to people in positions of power, resulting in incidents like this which damage the reputation of the UAE as a safe transport and tourism hub,” she added.

De Los Santos’ next court hearing is scheduled for October 24.

Detained in Dubai, which was founded in 2008, has been offering legal advocacy for people held in the UAE.

De Los Santos contacted the organization after hearing about its work with United States national Tierra Young Allen, a TikTok influencer known by her alias “Sassy Trucker,” who was released after a months-long legal dispute in the UAE.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.