Human trafficking is on the increase around the world because of its economic benefits to traffickers, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has warned.
The Ministry has therefore, cautioned Ghanaian youth desiring to travel abroad to be patient and obtain the relevant traveling documents in order not to expose themselves to the traffickers who harvest and sell human organs.
Mrs. Francisca Oteng Mensah, the Deputy Minister of the MoGCSP who gave the caution said unsuspecting victims also went through the worst forms of human rights abuses in the hands of traffickers.
“In fact, cases of human trafficking are recording disturbing figures around the world and potential travelers must be watchful not to fall victims”, Mrs. Mensah told the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
She was speaking in an interview with the GNA on the side-lines of a community dialogue on social protection and social issues held at Yamfo, a mining community in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.
The MoGCSP organised the dialogue to sensitise the community on the activities of the Ministry, attended by traditional leaders, market women, youth groups and Senior High School students.
Mrs. Mensah said traveling abroad was not a bad idea, it was imperative for those who intended to go abroad to check backgrounds and credibility to ascertain the genuineness of the “numerous” traveling agencies in the country.
She expressed worry about reported cases of human trafficking involving innocent Ghanaian victims, particularly young women who had fallen victims to traffickers, and were being
exploited for commercial and domestic sex work in parts of the world.
Mrs. Mensah said though the Ministry had identified public education and was doing a lot to bring the menace under control, the uncontrolled passion and desire of the youth to travel abroad seemed to thwart the efforts of the government.
Notwithstanding, she said the nation had made some significant gains in rescuing and re-integrating victims of traffickers, saying for the past six years the government had remained supportive to the activities of the Ministry in curbing the menace.
“For some time now many of the several shelter homes in the country are functioning well. Though the situation at the shelter homes is not all the best, we are doing great as a nation,” Mrs. Mensah stated.
She lauded the collaborative support from civil society and non-governmental organisations in helping to run the shelter homes, and therefore called on all to help bring the activities of human traffickers under the barest minimum.
The Deputy Minister said it was also an offence, punishable by law for anybody to aid human trafficking, saying the Ministry would also ensure the arrest and prosecution of offenders.
Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North said without the support from community leaders, chiefs and queens, the nation could not be successful in tackling human trafficking.
She therefore called on all, especially families and parents to discourage their relations from traveling abroad without obtaining the relevant traveling documents.
Nana Appiah Afrane, the Sanaahene of the Yamfo Traditional Area commended the MoGCSP and the MP, saying the dialogue had enlightened the people and prayed the Ministry would intensify the sensitization.
GNA