Child jockeys get final compensation

Many of the 810 former child camel jockeys suffered debilitating injuries while riding.

Final compensation payments to child camel jockeys have been handed to the Pakistani interior minister, Rehman Malik, by the UAE ambassador. Ali Said al Awani handed over the last instalment of cheques, totalling US$11,352 (Dh41,000) in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, according to WAM, the state-run news agency. The compensation for 810 former jockeys, many of whom were younger than 10 when they were involved in the sport, is meant to go towards rehabilitation, health care and education. Many suffered debilitating injuries while riding.

Nine months ago, Brig Gen Nasser al Menhal, the acting director of the Department of Naturalisation and Residency, pledged that the payments would be made by the end of the year. Following international criticism, the UAE now uses lightweight robots instead of children as jockeys. Using jockeys under 18 was made illegal in 2002, but the law was not enforced until 2005. Until then, most of the estimated 3,000 children involved continued riding.

From 2005 to 2007, about 1,100 children were returned to their home countries, although that was only a fraction of the estimated number who were used as jockeys. In December 2006, the Government pledged $9 million for a compensation and integration programme under a 2005 agreement made with the United Nations Children's Fund. @Email:[e-mail]