> I don't see many illegal immigrants in UAE/Dubai for example. How would you know? And is this a fair comparison? I've heard that the country relies heavily

> I don't see many illegal immigrants in UAE/Dubai for example. How would you know? And is this a fair comparison? I've heard that the country relies heavily on South Asian labourers with terrible working conditions, as well as housemaids who are effectively imprisoned by their employers. It's a huge section of the economy. I wouldn't be surprised if the government makes it pretty easy to enter legally, or if a bunch of labourers are flying under the radar without the government caring. I decided to search for some facts and found the following: * Immigrants, particularly from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, comprise over 90 percent of the country's private workforce [0] * In 2013, the UAE had the fifth-largest international migrant stock in the world with 7.8 million migrants (out of a total population of 9.2 million) [0] * About 65,000 unauthorized migrants — including those who entered the country illegally, visa over-stayers, migrants working on tourist visas, and others — currently reside in the UAE, according to official estimates (unofficial estimates run up to 135,000). [0] * An unknown but likely significant number of migrants lack any identification papers after having “absconded” or abandoned abusive employers who withhold their passports [0] * More than 10,500 illegal residents were prosecuted in the UAE in 2022, according to authorities.[1] * In December 2012, the government announced a two-month amnesty program allowing unauthorized migrant workers to regularize their situations or leave the country without punishment. * In August 2018 the government repeated this amnesty. [3] * The UAE Government exempts fines for Illegal Foreigners/residents, under these conditions: your Emirates ID or Work Permit has expired, you are Workers who run away from sponsors and violate employment contracts. [4] [0] https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/labor-migration-united-arab-emirates-challenges-and-responses https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/labor-migration-unit... [1] https://www.khaleejtimes.com/life-and-living/visa-and-immigration-in-uae/uae-visa-overstayers-part-time-workers-among-over-10500-illegal-residents-caught-in-2022 https://www.khaleejtimes.com/life-and-living/visa-and-immigr... [2] https://sojo.net/articles/how-united-arab-emirates-country-90-percent-immigrants-handles-immigration https://sojo.net/articles/how-united-arab-emirates-country-9... [3] https://www.stalawfirm.com/en/news/view/illegal-immigration-amnesty-in-the-uae.html https://www.stalawfirm.com/en/news/view/illegal-immigration-... [4] https://kemlu.go.id/dubai/en/news/7262/illegal-foreigners-exemption-program-issued-by-the-uae-government https://kemlu.go.id/dubai/en/news/7262/illegal-foreigners-ex...