Kiwi detained in UAE, family seek help to pay off up to $50,000 in loans

Maria Morehu moved to Abu Dhabi in 2009 to work as a teacher. Photo / Givealittle

A New Zealander has been detained in a United Arab Emirates prison.

Maria Morehu, 60, was jailed this week in Abu Dhabi after failing to pay back bank loans, her family said.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman confirmed that Morehu had been detained, but could not confirm details around why she was arrested or whether she had be charged.

Morehu, a mother of five, was being given consular assistance, the spokeswoman said.

A Givealittle page set up to help clear Morehu's debts said she had moved to the country in 2009 to work as an English language teacher.

In 2014, she had time off work because she broke both ankles in an accident and subsequently could not pay off loans she had taken out in the country, the Givealittle page said.

It is not known what the loans were for. Morehu's family said she owed $40,000 to $50,000. She was unable to secure new work because of the outstanding police cases and she was in a battle with her insurance company over her income insurance.

The details around her arrest and detention could not be verified. Ruby Pitiroi, who is Morehu's niece and set up the Givealittle page, did not return requests for comment.

The Givealittle page said Morehu had heart problems and the family was concerned about her health in jail.

"We spoke briefly with her while she was waiting to be transferred to her permanent prison.

"She was fearful that she wouldn't survive the harsh conditions in prison with her heart complications and pleaded with us to find a way to bring her home.

"She is physically weak and her spirit is broken. We fear for her life in a foreign country that she cannot leave until her debt is settled."

The UAE has strict laws on unpaid loans, which can be considered a criminal offence punishable by jail time.

MFAT warns New Zealanders travelling to the region that local legal and judicial systems differ significantly to New Zealand and resolution of legal issues can be long and complicated.

People could face long periods of detention before trial and deportation, MFAT said on its website.