To think the British people who went out to Dubai to profit from slave labour by "influencing" (i.e. manipulating) made their beds and now should lie cosily in them

[Mightneedencouraged]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/uk-citizens-detained-uae-frustrated-government-intervention-iran-conflict

The brass neck of these family members complaining when the boot is finally on the other authoritarian foot

Thing is they were told not to do something by the government and did it anyway. If you live in a country you follow their laws and rules. Surely people are not that ignorant that they think other countries allow you to get away with acts just because in the UK that law doesn’t exist? When you do end up in prison then tough.

exactly, so they should be championing the rights of the government to imprison white Europeans who disobeyed orders regarding social media in the same way they defend the regimes right to govern the country the way it does with regards to low income migrant workers who have their passports held by their employers or to impose fundamental religious laws against homosexuality.

they're a guest in their home, they didn't follow the rules.
it would be a bit rich of any expats to turn a blind eye to the brutality of the country they're in or to lecture others on not understanding the cultural differences but then turn around and complain when they are at odds with the culture.

you can't say "when in Rome, unless the Romans are doing something i don't like"

If my house caught fire and was damaged but I had cancelled my expensive insurance policy because I thought it cost too much, can I claim from said insurance company anyway?

They should be made to pay for their return as they don't pay tax to the British government.

The virtue signalling on this thread is unreal. I hope none of you buy cheap imported goods from countries that employ migrants slaves. I sincerely hope you are all shearing your own sheep, spinning the wool and knitting your own bloomers.
And I hope you have accommodated in your home some 38 year old bloke from Albania who is pretending to be a 15 year old child escaping a war zone.
And if not, why not?

I was going to say something a bit like this. I wonder if it needs to be communicated more widely that if people go abroad (whether on holiday or to live), they need to obey the rules of that country, even if they seem weird or wouldn’t apply here. It isn’t just about Dubai - in Thailand, one must not criticise the Royal Family, in Singapore, one must not chew gum, in North Korea - just don’t go to North Korea.

Did you ignore me when I said they have to pay for the return flight home??

Why is everyone just ignoring it?

People need to make themselves aware of the laws and customs of any country before they visit, and be aware of penalties and justice systems for non compliance, even if it’s “only” package holiday and obviously essential if moving abroad.

If you don’t like the laws around social media or anything else then don’t visit or live there. Don’t break the law then shriek for consular assistance!.

I did. I'm sorry. Your user name made me hungry so I skipped passed... Please don't take it so personally.

So if someone isn't paying tax to the UK and doesnt live in the UK why are they looking to the UK to rescue them? They can go whistle.

The individuals in the article linked by the OP are asking for diplomatic intervention to get them out of prison.

Asking for help from the UK gvt to intervene after they distributed SM posts that the UAE had very clearly told them not too.

And when posting on SM was literally the job they had gone there in order to make money (and not pay UK taxes because they don’t live here)

I have no doubt they would gladly pay their charter flights home - but they are criticising UK services (that they don’t pay for) for not intervening enough when they have broken the rules of the regime they chose to work for

They had to pay for their repatriation flight.

But these ‘influencers’ haven’t been imprisoned because of exploitative labour laws. They’ve been imprisoned because they chose to produce propaganda for an oppressive regime whose censorship laws they chose to think didn’t apply to them when they deviated from the ‘safe luxury’ message.

I fully feel the British embassy should do what it can, which will be limited by the fact that these people broke the law. And from the Dubai ‘government’’s POV, this is way more serious than a dopey tourist or two contravening the decency laws. This cuts right to the heart of the Dubai illusion that presents the emirate, not as a Middle Eastern dictatorship in a particularly geopolitically sensitive area across a small stretch of water from Iran but as an apolitical, Western-friendly bubble.

The problem is they didn't obey their rules and so have been arrested. Sharing images of damage from drones or missiles is against their rules. The people who were arrested for this, clearly didn't follow the rules.

Should 'Influencers' be in prison for misuse of social media?

Yes, I agree. Is there a link for a petition to sign?

Fair point made.

These people should have simply followed the rules on social media posts.

I think I've confused myself with people asking for consular service for breaking UAE law and people needing to be flown home from the war.

I thought they were asking for diplomatic intervention to somehow bypass the fact they've broken the law. Its not just about flights.

Yup I was wrong

It isn't about flights, people are misinterpreting. Its about them being arrested for breaking the law in Dubai. They think the British consulate should do more to help them. However, if they were arrested for breaking the law then then little that the UK can do.

Someone has to do the menial jobs.
Bet you was glad of the little people during COVID when it became obvious they were very much needed.

And if people who work menial jobs still require benefits to get by, well that wouldn't happen if the rest of ensured that they were paid properly for their labour.

We were working as well (but online). All jobs are essential to someone's family. Working at Tesco for my entire life is not something I aspire towards or hope for my kids.

From reading the first page of comments I see plenty of people are determined to miss the point and trot out the usual 'yoUr JUst jELLus' stuff. This story was specifically about people who have moved to Dubai and the like specifically because they have a very different set of laws and structure of society from the UK. Being social media types they have doubtless not been backward in coming forward about how clever they are for having done so. But now that different set of laws has bitten them on the arse they expect UK rules to apply and for the UK government to move heaven and Earth to dig them out of the rather ugly hole they find themselves in. Well, I'm not suggesting the UK government should do nothing, but they should definitely focus on the domestic populations problems first.

All the more reasonable for you to be grateful that others will do it then.

Edited to add: that was to @ToasterBonanza

I think its more the tax haven aspect than the glamour.
I doubt people Liechtenstein would get much sympathy either.
Actively avoiding tax whilst then expecting government support when it goes wrong isnt a popular move.