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The trafficking and exploitation of
South Asian and African children as camel
jockeys has burgeoned in the Gulf states,
which, with the discovery of oil and the
associated surge in wealth, transformed
camel racing from a traditional Bedouin
sports pastime to a multi-million dollar
activity.
Today, thousands of children, some as
young as three or four years of age, are
trafficked from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and
countries in East Africa, and sold into
slavery to serve as camel jockeys.
These children live in an oppressive
environment and endure harsh living
conditions. They work long hours in
temperatures exceeding 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, live in unsanitary conditions,
receive little food, and are deprived of
sleep so that they do not gain weight and
increase the load on the camels they race.
They are trained and kept under the
watchful eyes of handlers, who employ
abusive control tactics, including threats
and beatings. Some are reportedly abused
sexually.
Many have been seriously injured and some
have been trampled to death by the camels.
Those who survive the harsh conditions are
disposed of once they reach their teenage
years.
Having gained no productive skills or
education, scarred with physical and
psychological trauma that can last a
lifetime, these children face dim
prospects. They often end up leading
destitute lives. Trafficked child camel
jockeys are robbed of their childhoods—and
of their future.
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