Major-General Saif Al Shaafar, Under-Secretary of the UAE Ministry of Interior, announced that only nationals of seven countries, including Bangladesh trafficking in underage camel jockeys, would need to have separate passports for their dependents. The other countries were Sudan, Pakistan, India, Eritrea, Somalia and Mauritania, according to The Khaleej Times of Dubai.

Children from these countries, whose citizens were required by law to issue separate passports for their dependants in connection with the ban on underage camel jockeys, can still come into the country on their parents' passports during the six-month grace period that ends in September.

The measure aims at preventing children from being smuggled into the country as camel jockeys, since the authorities discovered several cases of violations regarding passports of children arriving in the country accompanied by people, who claimed they were their parents, but had in fact no direct relation with them.

The new rule has triggered several reactions among citizens of the aforementioned seven countries, particularly those residing in the UAE.

Some of them rushed to their diplomatic missions to get separate passports issued for their children before the summer holidays.

Many fear that if they go out of the country, they will not be allowed to re-enter with the old passports.

Others who were outside the country and wanted to return are confused whether they will be allowed to bring in their children, while still on the parents' passports, or they will need to have separate passports in their home countries.

Clarifying the issue, Brigadier Saeed Mattar bin Bleilah, Director of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD), said immigration authorities have given a grace period of six months starting March 31, the date when the new rule came into effect, for parents to obtain separate passports for their kids.

"Those who are residents of Dubai and are outside the country can come in at any time between now and September with their children on their passports," he said, explaining that once inside the country, they can approach their embassies to obtain separate passports for the kids.

"After obtaining separate passports, they will have to submit applications for new residence visas for the kids, going through the normal application procedures, including the payment of visa fee," he said.

He said the residents who have separate passports for their kids in their respective countries have nothing to fear with regard to the status of their visas.

"If the kids are mentioned in the residence visa stamped on the parents' passports, they will be allowed to enter with their new separate passports. Upon arrival, the passports will be taken away by the immigration personnel at the airport, and they will be asked to report to the DNRD to apply for the residence visas for the kids," Brig Bin Bleilah added.

According to figures released earlier by the officials at the Ministry of Interior, around 49 per cent of the smuggled camel jockeys were brought by uncles and nine per cent by cousins, who pretended to be their parents.