A state ultimatum. After the government’s decision had became effective, the Ministry of Labour of the wealthy Emirate of the Persian Gulf censused 350,000 immigrants who are actually working in the country, among them 250,000 have a contract which is going to expire, the others entered the country illegally or with a temporary visa already expired. In three months all these people will have to find a sponsor, an employer who assumes responsibility for them and gives them a regular contract.

If they do not find a work or leave the country by the end of next autumn, they will be sentenced to 10 years in prison and then expelled. For those who employ illegal immigrants there will be a month in prison and 10,000 euro fine. No doubt and no kidding on Emirates’ behalf about the application of the law.

In 2003 the government granted an amnesty for about 100,000 irregular foreign workers: after the deadline established to apply for a regular visa, 40,000 workers who were not able to find a work were arrested.

The white elephants. According to some observers such a harsh law answers in a questionable way to the international organizations who accuse the government of enslaving the foreign labour. Very few countries have known such an economic boom as the seven Emirates. In the last few years the Emirates have developed a leadership in the real estate and financial worldwide market and have been increasing tourism industry and renewable energy technologies. The first step of the frantic process are the so-called “white elephants”, futuristic buildings known all over the world. Like the Burj Al-Arab Hotel with suites exclusively for millionaires at the cost of 900 dollars per night. It looks like a billowing sail and any room available is provided with large windows and a breathtaking view on the Persian Gulf. Among the hotel’s attractions, the two restaurants deserve special mention, one in the air, the other underwater, Al-Muntala at 200 m. above sea level, Al-Mahara at 200 m. under sea level.

A boom built on the exploitment. The hotel is just an effect of an uncontrolled building policy which has enjoyed a labour exploited, no kidding, to death. Thousands of workers, mainly from the Far East, were the slaves of local and West businesses that were awarded a contract to build the fabulous palaces: a very low pay, sometimes partial, inhuman work hours, lack of security conditions, while the employers keep the passports of the workers who have to pay large amounts of money to have them back and come home. Not to damage the Emirates’ image, they are obliged to live in poor hidden shanties in the desert where no business men or tourists will ever go. No drinking water, no electricity, no medical treatments. That’s why costs decrease for those businesses able to earn billions of dollars by building skyscrapers and appear in the world’s top selling magazines, not caring about dozens of suicides every year in the Emirates among foreign workers.

The international pressures. After a great building development and years of incredible incomes, something has changed. First of all, while NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International were denouncing the situation, West businesses suffered public opinion’s disapproval in their native countries, as well as those who established economic relationships with the Emirates, the USA in particular, felt slightly embarrassed and pressed Dubai to improve workers’ lives. Easy low cost labour has suddenly become a clandestine mass. And the emirs seem to do their best to improve workers’ conditions and the law on regular work, being careful not to punish the businesses but the workers.

Then the Emirates had to face an internal problem. Over the last few years foreign workers have been representing 80 percent of people living in the country. Such a great number led the institutions to limit residence permits for a community who would prevail on the local one. First they tried in vain to introduce a quota, allowing businesses to employ a certain number of Emirates citizens, then to diversify investments. Now after the years of immense buildings, investments concentrate more on high finance, cultural and non cultural tourism industry (a branch of the Louvre Museum has to be proposed) and in particular on nuclear, eolian energy sources.

All against exploitment. The combination of all these factors has generated a partial withdrawal of the institutions, now planning a fight against illegal work. Last year in spring, after years of silent abuses, something unexpected for the wealthy sheikhs of the country occurred; thousands of Indians, Sinhalese, Burmese and Thai came out on strike. A historic strike called for acceptable living conditions. Emirates police felt free to charge brutally the workers and beat them up. But the strikers didn’t give in and were even able to obtain concessions. In addition, demonstrating a great sense of reality, they appointed some representatives as the European Mutual Aid Society in the 18^th century and created a web site. That’s a good way of being heard, when the United Arab Emirates realise they exploited them too much and plan to do without them.