Emirates sends 1,075 smuggled children home

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   Emirates sends 1,075 smuggled children home 
Kids were smuggled into UAE as jockeys for camel racing

Updated: 3:52 p.m. MT June 12, 2006 
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - More than 1,000 child jockeys smuggled into the Emirates to race camels have been returned to their home countries, government officials said.
The United Arab Emirates began enforcing a ban on child jockeys last year, after the State Department cited the country as a top destination for smuggled children who were being forced into camel riding. Some 20 smugglers have been prosecuted for trafficking in child jockeys.
“They are now a thing of the past, they no longer exist in the Emirates,” Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Saif al-Shafar said Sunday. “The UAE has helped 1,075 children from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mauritania and Eritrea return home after undergoing a rehabilitation program.”

Since the campaign, riders in lucrative camel races here must prove they are older than 18. The UAE, Qatar and other Gulf countries have also begun using small robots as jockeys, with camel owners using remote control to issue commands.
Lightweight robots allow more speed and stamina in the races, which are far longer and more endurance-based than horse racing, said Lt. Colonel Nasser al-Minhali, the chief government racing monitor.
This year, the State Department’s human rights report upgraded the Emirates’ status, citing the action on the child jockeys. The move also won praise from UNICEF and the Pakistani government.
But the UAE remains on the State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List because of continuing problems with women smuggled into prostitution and the abuse of low-paid foreign workers who underpin the country’s booming economy.
The State Department said the UAE does not take proper care of prostitutes who are trafficking victims, and instead simply jails and deports around 5,000 trafficked women per year. The country also needs to crack down on the gangs that traffic those women, the department said.
For its part, the Emirates’ official news agency on Monday lambasted Washington for what it described as human rights violations at its Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

  Its a step in right direction...

Edited by Angela

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Angela Female Senior Member Joined: 11 July 2005 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2555	Topic: Emirates sends 1,075 children home Posted: 13 June 2006 at 11:10am
	Emirates sends 1,075 smuggled children home Kids were smuggled into UAE as jockeys for camel racing Updated: 3:52 p.m. MT June 12, 2006 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - More than 1,000 child jockeys smuggled into the Emirates to race camels have been returned to their home countries, government officials said. The United Arab Emirates began enforcing a ban on child jockeys last year, after the State Department cited the country as a top destination for smuggled children who were being forced into camel riding. Some 20 smugglers have been prosecuted for trafficking in child jockeys. “They are now a thing of the past, they no longer exist in the Emirates,” Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Saif al-Shafar said Sunday. “The UAE has helped 1,075 children from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mauritania and Eritrea return home after undergoing a rehabilitation program.” Since the campaign, riders in lucrative camel races here must prove they are older than 18. The UAE, Qatar and other Gulf countries have also begun using small robots as jockeys, with camel owners using remote control to issue commands. Lightweight robots allow more speed and stamina in the races, which are far longer and more endurance-based than horse racing, said Lt. Colonel Nasser al-Minhali, the chief government racing monitor. This year, the State Department’s human rights report upgraded the Emirates’ status, citing the action on the child jockeys. The move also won praise from UNICEF and the Pakistani government. But the UAE remains on the State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List because of continuing problems with women smuggled into prostitution and the abuse of low-paid foreign workers who underpin the country’s booming economy. The State Department said the UAE does not take proper care of prostitutes who are trafficking victims, and instead simply jails and deports around 5,000 trafficked women per year. The country also needs to crack down on the gangs that traffic those women, the department said. For its part, the Emirates’ official news agency on Monday lambasted Washington for what it described as human rights violations at its Guantanamo Bay prison camp. © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed Its a step in right direction... Edited by Angela
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herjihad Senior Member Joined: 26 January 2005 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 2473	Posted: 13 June 2006 at 6:13pm
	*Bismillah,* Yeah to the Emirates. All the people in your country should be cared for, and we have the standard that Allah, The Truth, sets for us as Muslims. ISA, all the people in power will care for those without any one day on this earth.
	Al-Hamdulillah (From a Married Muslimah) La Howla Wa La Quwata Illa BiLLah - There is no Effort or Power except with Allah's Will.
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