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Kids ‘missing’ as camel jockey law takes effect

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney said that the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International has received reports that some people have started hiding these children in remote areas in the desert as well as their homes.

“It has also come to our attention that many underage camel jockeys are being smuggled to neighbouring countries where they will continue to be used as child camel jockeys,” Burney added.

“Yesterday, the law came into force. Underage children will henceforth be stopped from being used as child camel jockeys. Officials from the Camel Racing Federation in Abu Dhabi have assured that after this date, strict laws will be imposed and violators will be sent to jail,” said Burney. “It is estimated that there are 16,000 active racing camels and around 17 camel racetracks in the UAE. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the centres of this activity,” he informed.

The law also stipulates that the body weight of a camel jockey should not be less than 45kg while his age, according to the passport, should not be less than 16 years. Taking a serious step towards implementing the law, a rehabilitation centre has already been established in Abu Dhabi under the supervision of ABWTI on the orders of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The first of its kind in the entire region, the centre provides accommodation, medical treatment, food, education and a safe environment to the rescued children. Commenting on the new law, Burney said that twice before similar laws were passed but nothing changed.

“Nonetheless, this time we believe the government is sincere in tackling this issue and it has given us assurance of full cooperation and firm implementation of the law. The country’s ports of entry have already been instructed to ensure that no child less than 16 years can enter to be used as a camel jockey,” he explained. “We are hoping that this move by the UAE government will motivate other Arab and Middle East countries to implement similar laws,” he added.

According to Burney, over 40,000 children are employed in this form of labour and their ages range from one and a half-year-old to seven years and most of them are brought from Asian countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Yemen and Sudan.

“These children have been living wretched lives and are abused and tortured daily. They live and sleep in hot, crowded huts made from corrugated iron sheets without electricity in the high desert temperatures of above 52 degrees centigrade. They are forced to train on the camels two or three times a day in extreme temperatures of the desert, after which they also have to serve their masters,” he explained.

Burney said that international human smuggling networks have made it a sophisticated and well-organised human trafficking industry in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Sudan, as well as many other poor countries.

“The trafficking of children for use as camel jockeys is strictly prohibited by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and by ILO Conventions 29, 138 and 182 — all of which have been ratified by the UAE, yet all this has been going on for many years,” he said.

• UAE