The International Justice Mission (IJM) Ghana says more than 500 child trafficking victims have been rescued in the country over the past decade through collaborative efforts with state justice institutions.
It said while progress had been made in tackling trafficking, major gaps remained, including limited shelters for victims and inadequate resources for agencies responsible for investigations, victim care, and prosecutions.
Ms Anita Budu, the Director of West Africa Programmes at IJM Ghana, disclosed this on Monday in Accra at the first Public Justice System Leaders’ Summit, organised to strengthen collaboration among justice sector institutions to address human trafficking.
The summit brought together regional and district leaders from the Ghana Police Service, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Office of the Attorney-General from the Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Volta and Oti regions.
Discussions focused on improving inter-agency coordination and promoting trauma-informed approaches in handling human trafficking cases.
Ms Budu said the summit sought to deepen collaboration among institutions responsible for investigating, prosecuting and supporting survivors.
While frontline officers continued to deal with trafficking cases on the ground, sustainable reforms required strong institutional leadership and effective coordination among agencies, she noted.
Ms Budu said the IJM had worked with the Government since 2015 to tackle trafficking through rescue operations, community awareness campaigns and capacity building for public justice actors.
“To date, we have seen over 500 vulnerable victims removed from situations of harm, more than 235 suspects arrested and over 70 convictions secured,” she said.
Ms Budu called for greater investment by the state to ensure that justice institutions had the resources needed to address trafficking effectively.
“There is a real need for internal investment so that our social welfare officers and police officers are adequately resourced to deal with these cases daily.”
Mr Andrews Dodzi Adugu, Senior State Attorney and Focal Person for the Prosecution of Human Trafficking Cases in the Volta and Oti regions, described trafficking as a worrying phenomenon, particularly along the Volta Lake, where children were often forced into hazardous labour.
He said prosecuting such cases was sometimes difficult because gathering evidence from activities on the lake posed logistical challenges.
“Taking rescued children to shelters and sustaining them through the trial process is not easy because we do not have enough shelters,” he said.
Mr Adugu noted that despite the challenges, prosecutors had secured several convictions across the country after building strong investigative dockets.
He called for the establishment of more shelters for victims across the regions and greater public awareness of the obligation to report suspected trafficking cases under existing laws.
Dr Anastasia Kpei Mawudoku, Greater Accra Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, urged justice sector actors to prioritise their well-being to effectively support victims.
“We should be able to take care of ourselves to be able to take care of others,” she said.
Participants at the summit emphasised the need for sustained collaboration among institutions to strengthen investigations, improve survivor care and enhance prosecution of trafficking cases across the country.
