The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Francisca Oteng Mensah, has urged immediate action to tackle new modes of human trafficking that are on the rise in Ghana. During a courtesy call by International Justice Mission (IJM) Ghana, an NGO that supports authorities to respond to and combat human trafficking, the MP for Kwabre East called for concerted efforts to curb the menace.
The Deputy Minister highlighted the emergence of new modes of trafficking, including “trafficking into the streets,” which involves deceptively moving people from rural areas to big cities as beggars. She noted that each beggar is immediately saddled with debt bondage and given a daily sales quota to earn their freedom after a period. The intelligence was picked from the National Security and the BNI.
The Deputy Minister stressed the importance of the work of IJM, and reiterated that human trafficking is a headache for all Ghanaians. She also thanked the IJM officers for their congratulatory messages on her appointment, and expressed interest in working with the ministry and relevant secretariats under it.
For the most part, the Deputy Minister emphasized the need for all hands to be on deck to support the fight against human trafficking and other social vices. She noted that the ministry is concerned about the existing forms of human trafficking and is committed to curbing the menace.
IJM’s delegation was led by Anita Budu, the newly appointed Director of IJM West Africa. The Deputy Minister congratulated her and expressed her commitment to assist in any way possible.
In summary, urgent actions are needed to combat new modes of human trafficking in Ghana. The government, NGOs, and relevant stakeholders must work together to curb the menace and protect vulnerable individuals.