Police and immigration officers trained in Accra to tackle human trafficking

Pinned summary · as of 05:49

Personnel from the police, immigration and other agencies spent two days in Accra learning how to spot and pursue human trafficking cases. The session ran on 23 and 24 September and was delivered by the Human Trafficking Secretariat together with the International Justice Mission.

What we know

• The course on 23 and 24 September in Accra drew staff from the police, immigration and various other agencies, and centred on detecting and responding to trafficking and newer forms of exploitation.
• The Human Trafficking Secretariat, a unit of the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, ran the programme with the International Justice Mission.
• Sessions dealt with migrant smuggling, child trafficking, child labour in its worst forms, sexual and labour exploitation, protection of victims and trafficking crimes committed online. Participants also practised identifying victims, collecting evidence, investigating and supporting prosecutions.
• Abena Annobea Asare, who directs the secretariat, led participants through the basic concepts of trafficking in Ghana and argued that frontline officers must grasp how trafficking works if they are to handle cases well.
• Gender Minister Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, whose statement was read for her by Chief Director Dr Marian Kpakpah, said the fight against trafficking needs lasting investment in professional skills and closer cooperation between enforcement agencies.
• Dr Lartey urged the officers to study Act 694, the 2005 anti-trafficking law, and its 2015 regulations (L.I. 2219), and to improve victim identification, victim-centred interviews, referrals, gathering of evidence, investigation and prosecution.
• The minister said traffickers keep adopting new technologies and methods, so enforcement agencies have to stay informed, vigilant and professional.
• According to the minister, the secretariat has worked with partners over the past three years to train 1,750 officers drawn from the police, immigration, EOCO and the Customs Division.

Why it matters for Ghana

Trafficking cases often reach the authorities first through police officers and border staff, so their ability to recognise victims and build cases affects children and adults at risk in communities across Ghana. Training on online-linked offences reflects the minister's warning that methods are changing. Whether more prosecutions follow will depend on how the officers apply what they learned.