Due to the large number of Filipinos in Dubai it is relatively easy for them to socialize with one another. The report by National Geographic states that many of the Filipino residents in Dubai are married back home, but have extramarital relationships with other Filipinos living in Dubai. Many Filipinos opt for marrying the person they found in Dubai, and seek to be granted divorce by the Philippine authorities. However, divorce in the Philippines is illegal. Thus, they turn to the Catholic church in Dubai to annul their marriages. Fr. Tom who is a priest for St. Mary's church in Dubai calls the request for annulments a "factory line.