Camel jockeys return to Pakistan

Since the banning of the use of children as camel jockeys in the United Arab Emirates children have begun to return home to countries such as Pakistan. The difficult process of reintegration must now begin. A shelter in Karachi has reported that many of the children have spinal injuries and septic saddle sores which need treating. Many of these children are from the poor regions of Upper Sindh or southern Punjab, but since growing up in slavery in the UAE they speak Arabic and will find it difficult to go back to their communities. Many of the children may not remember exactly where they came from and DNA testing needs to be conducted to prove relations who claim the children are genuine.
These children, however, are the fortunate ones. After years of slave labour as camel jockeys being underfed to keep their weight down and forced to race in dangerous competitions with no protection, they are now looking towards the future. There are reports, however of hundreds of children being smuggled across the borders of UAE and of clandestine races taking place in remote parts of the desert. Although the new ban on child jockeys has made a major impact on the trade, still more needs to be done to end it completely.