The increasing trafficking of men for cyber fraud and the growing trend of transnational trafficking of foreign migrants through the country is a national security concern, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has said.
To this end, she has called for collaboration among all stakeholders to urgently address the situation.
She made the remarks at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra during a health walk to commemorate the World Day Against Human Trafficking and to also raise awareness on the dangers associated with human trafficking and all forms of exploitation.
The occasion also marked the 20th anniversary of the country’s Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694), and brought together government officials, development partners and civil society actors to embark on the walk.
This year’s event was on the global theme: ‘Leave No One Behind: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges,’ reaffirms the country’s alignment with international efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and ensure no victim is overlooked.
Dr Lartey noted that human trafficking continues to evolve in complexity and scope, pointing out that, “Ghana is now not only a source and destination country, but also a transit point for men, women and children subjected to forced labour, sexual exploitation and cybercrime.”
She revealed that some young Ghanaian women are lured by fraudulent recruitment agencies with promises of well-paying jobs abroad, only to be subjected to abuse, torture, rape, and forced prostitution.
“These women are stripped of their dignity and all they have worked for in life,” she lamented. “Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. With over $ 30 billion in the human trafficking economy globally, perpetrators are doing all in their power to maintain their grip on the trade,” she asserted.
The Deputy Representative of UNICEF Ghana, Ms Christin Lucille McConnell, commended Ghana’s progress over the past two decades.
She highlighted that the passage of the Human Trafficking Act in 2005 had laid the foundation for prosecution of traffickers and provision of survivor support services.
However, she warned that significant gaps remain.
According to the 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, 944 victims were identified in 2023, up from 574 in 2022. Of these, 505 were children.
“This shows trafficking continues to affect the most vulnerable members of our society,” she underlined
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