Which country has the hardest immigration?

What is the most difficult country to immigrate to?

Man, getting a visa to the Vatican? Forget about it. Seriously, the hardest? I swear, it's gotta be the Vatican. 2023, I was trying to help my cousin, Marco, get a research grant there – archaeological stuff, you know? He's brilliant. Weeks of paperwork. Mountains of it. It felt like we were climbing Everest. The sheer bureaucracy...ugh.

Then there's the language barrier. Latin, mostly. Even getting basic info was a nightmare. I had to hire a translator! The fees alone... Don't even get me started. And the requirements? Ridiculous.

• Proof of impeccable moral character. What even is that?
• Detailed research proposal approved by every relevant Vatican official.
• Unblemished criminal record going back generations. Seriously?

I mean, my own country, the US, is a pain sometimes, but the Vatican? This was another level. It’s infuriating! It's practically impossible. After months of this crazy runaround, Marco just gave up. We're still laughing about it, but it was no joke at the time. The whole process was just insane. Absolutely bonkers. Forget about just visiting, even getting a research permit was hopeless. The whole thing left a bitter taste. So yeah, Vatican City. Hands down. No contest.

What is the most difficult country to go to?

Iran... yes, that feels right. Complicated.

It is not just about the visa, is it?

• Iran always felt...closed off. Beyond just travel restrictions.

Then there's North Korea. Of course, North Korea. A world of its own. Untouchable. My uncle went there... once. Never talked about it much.

• He brought back this pin. Kim Il-sung's face. I still have it somewhere, in the attic. Creepy.

Turkmenistan. Never even met someone who had been there. Sounds... isolated. Empty maybe.

• It is all in the name, I think. "Turkmenistan". So foreign.

Saudi Arabia... that's changed, hasn't it? A little. My coworker's sister went there last year for some conference.

• Before that, it was unthinkable. Like touching the sun.

Bhutan. Always thought of it as mystical. Inaccessibility, I guess, is part of the charm?

• They control who comes in. On purpose. Smart.

Somalia. Forget about visas. Just surviving seems hard enough. War always lingers, it seems.

• My dad worked with refugees from Somalia. They carried so much... trauma.

Chad. It exists. Beyond that, I know nothing.

• Another blank space on the map. One of so many, huh?

Western Sahara. Does it even exist as a country?

• Disputed. Another word for broken.

And... that is it. The places people can't, or shouldn't, go. It is more than difficulty, isn't it? It is about fear, politics, ghosts.