Govt asked to provide police with resource to fight human trafficking
A national symposium on human trafficking has been held in Accra with a call on the government to provide the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service with adequate resources to help fight human trafficking in the country.
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The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert P. Jackson, who made the call, further suggested that a system be created to empower state attorneys and police prosecutors to execute their work effectively.
Addressing the symposium, dubbed: “Growing Up Free” in Accra last Thursday, Ambassador Jackson said apart from being provided with funds, the police should be equipped with the necessary logistics to support them in their investigations into human trafficking in the country.
He further called for the upgrading of shelters for victims of human trafficking.
The ambassador commended civil society organisations for their respective roles in ensuring that trafficked children were rescued and properly rehabilitated.
According to him, the government could collaborate closely with civil society “to dedicate resources to building new shelters and also improving on the care given at existing shelters”.
Mr Jackson also said there was the need for the provision of justice for victims after they had been rescued and called for the prosecution of perpetrators to serve as a deterrent.
He said the US had initiated some interventions, such as a $5-million child protection compact, to combat the practice.
Commitments
The Country Director of Free the Slaves, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mr Joha Braimah, said several forms of modern-day slavery existed in the country such as forced marriages, prostitution, human trafficking, bounded labour and debt bondage.
He said together with other stakeholders, the organisation was working on a project under the US child protection compact to educate communities on their rights and how to prevent child trafficking at their various areas.
The Executive Director of Right To Be Free (RITA), an NGO, Mr Eric Peasah, called on stakeholders including traditional leaders to be more vigilant in their communities.
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