Ghana’s push to sanitise its labour migration space has gained renewed momentum as the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, underscored the need for ethical recruitment at the launch of the Professional International Recruitment Association of Ghana (PIRAG).
“Every unethical recruitment practice affects not only the individual worker but the nation as a whole. It damages Ghana’s reputation and exposes our people to exploitation,” he stated, urging strict professionalism and accountability across the sector.
The Minister emphasised that labour migration, when properly governed, remains a strategic tool for national development. “International recruitment, when properly managed, is a legitimate pathway to decent work and new opportunities for our people,” he said, stressing the need to build systems that inspire trust both locally and internationally.
He warned against the activities of unregulated actors, noting that “unlicensed operators expose vulnerable job seekers to exploitation and undermine lawful migration channels,” and called for stronger enforcement and oversight.
Dr Pelpuo further highlighted the need for collective action. “Ethical recruitment must be treated as a shared responsibility—government, the private sector and our partners must all play their part,” he added.
President of PIRAG, Charles Kwenin, described the association as a timely intervention to restore integrity in Ghana’s recruitment ecosystem. “Our people are our greatest resource, and their recruitment cannot be left to chance or unscrupulous actors,” he said.
He explained that PIRAG is committed to promoting fairness, transparency and accountability in international recruitment. “We are here to ensure that every Ghanaian worker who travels abroad does so with dignity intact, with their rights protected and their future secured,” he noted.
Mr. Kwenin stressed collaboration as central to the association’s mission, adding that partnerships with government, development partners and employers would be key to enforcing international standards.
He also highlighted measures to protect job seekers from financial exploitation, stating: “We are promoting the ‘employer pays’ principle to remove the burden of recruitment costs from vulnerable job seekers.”
Positioning PIRAG within the national development agenda, he affirmed its role in supporting government initiatives abroad.
“We are here to support government’s work abroad programme by providing the professional infrastructure needed to make it sustainable,” he added.
He further assured that the association would help curb unethical practices through strict codes and peer accountability, concluding: “Our goal is simple—to ensure that when a Ghanaian worker travels abroad, they do so safely, work with dignity, and return home with prosperity.”
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