Underage jockeys head home

More than 60 underage camel jockeys have been sent back to their home countries, a Ministry of Interior official said. At least 24 more will be repatriated soon.

A list of every underage camel jockey in the UAE is being compiled to curb the practice, he said.

"Nobody has the real figure for the children involved, so the only way to know is by making this survey," he said.

"Once we make the register, we will have the names of each child, if they have family here and what injuries they have, if any."

It is illegal for anyone younger than 16 to be a camel jockey in the UAE. Still, officials acknowledge the practice goes on. In recent weeks, new measures have been introduced to tackle the issue.

Last month, it was announced that parents and children from nations known to export camel jockeys must have separate passports by September 30.

The Ministry of Interior source also told Gulf News this week that more than 60 children have been sent back home with their families in the past month, while the sponsors of 24 more have promised they will repatriate children before the end of May.

The countries thought to be the main exporters of camel jockeys are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sudan, Mauritania and Somalia.

UAE will set up schools for children

The United Nations Children's Fund is due to assist with the

rehabilitation of the underage jockeys used here. Next month, it will hold a meeting in the UAE alongside local government representatives and NGO officials.

"We will identify who was working as a jockey and who was working as a helper," the Ministry of Interior source said. "Then we will see who is here with their parents and who is not with their parents."

"Hopefully, by the time of this strategic meeting, we will know the extent of the problem and we will decide then what the best solution is."

Most children will be given basic medical treatment here before being sent to shelters in their home countries, the source said. The Ministry of Interior will also help fund schooling for the children.

"We don't want to create a place in the UAE where everyone can come and cry and see these poor children. We want to integrate them back into their own society," he said.