The Office of the Attorney General has expressed worry over the persistence rise in labour migration to Gulf countries despite a ban on such travels.
According to the 2024 Trafficking in Person Report, over 944 victims were identified and referred to services in 2023.
In 2022, the Trafficking In Person recorded 574 victims and referred, which increased significantly in 2023.
Chief Staff Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General in Ashanti Region, Ernest Ayeh, observed fraudulent recruitment agencies are among the cases referred, but they are yet to be prosecuted.
“Fraudulent recruiters continue to lure victims with false promises of lucrative jobs, only to subject them to harsh working conditions and exploitation abroad,” he said.
“Unfortunately, no fraudulent recruiters were prosecuted in 2023, despite numerous reports,” he added.
The Chief State Attorney was speaking at the International Justice Mission Ghana’s training for State Attorneys and Police Prosecutors in the Ashanti Region.
The Trafficking in Persons report further indicated the country failed to fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking, though it shows significant efforts.
Investigation of the office of the Attorney General has revealed many of the victims were trafficked for labour exploitation, particularly fishing, mining and domestic work.
Most of the victims trafficked to foreign destinations suffered sexual exploitation.
In dealing with the trafficking to the Gulf countries, persons who receive offers are being encouraged to thoroughly investigate the offers.
Senior Manager at IJM, Gabriel Acolatsey believes the law enforcement agencies will have to be engaged in authenticating such offers.
“Don’t just assume that you trust trafficker, you trust the recruiter, so you will not investigate the background of the organization. Talk to the police, Talk to somebody, share the information with somebody,” he stated.
As part of the efforts to deal with the increasing trafficking cases, IJM brought together prosecutors of the Ghana Police Service and State Attorneys for training in cases of trafficking.
The Chief State Attorney has praised the move indicating its impact in improving efforts to deal with trafficking.
“I cannot even downplay it. It’s really extremely important. This is a specialized area. We deal with several cases, the familiar offenses, murder, robbery, and all that but this one is not common, and it’s a little bit complex, because of the ingredients or the elements that have to be identified before you can have a successful prosecution,” he added.
