ENA and GIS Intervene to Save Human Trafficking Victims

Engage Now Africa (ENA), in partnership with the Aflao Sector Command (AHSTIP) and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Sogakope sector command, successfully rescued four individuals suspected to be victims of human trafficking in Sogakope, the capital of the South Tongu district in the Volta region.

Mr. Afasi Komla, the Director of Operations for ENA and the Director of End Modern Slavery (EMS), reported to the media that the incident occurred when the four suspected victims, traveling from Nigeria to Ghana, were intercepted by the Ghana Immigration Service. Investigations revealed that a man named Daniel had facilitated their travel from Nigeria. The individuals were found without travel documents and were unaware of their destination, only stating that Daniel had promised them lucrative jobs in Ghana.

The officers managed to contact the families of the victims using the information provided by the victims. The families in Nigeria agreed for the victims to return home with the help of Immigration. ENA and the Ghana Immigration Service worked together to reintegrate the victims by housing them temporarily at the Aflao transitional shelter, the nearest to the border, before they were safely returned to their families. The perpetrator, Daniel, remains at large, and efforts are ongoing to facilitate his arrest through collaboration between immigration and the police.

The rescued individuals were relieved to return home, unaware of Daniel’s whereabouts despite his involvement in their journey.

This incident highlights the need for public awareness about the risks of recruitment for jobs abroad, especially given the economic challenges in Ghana, West Africa, and Africa as a whole. Unemployment, particularly among young people, has led to high rates of rural-urban migration and contributed to the human trafficking crisis. Many are misled by exaggerated promises and are unaware of the dangers and lack of opportunities in their destination countries.

The Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration, and Reintegration reports that around 800,000 or more Ghanaians live and work abroad, with some taking dangerous routes facilitated by illegal networks, making their journeys potentially deadly.

It is essential to address the root causes of human trafficking, including poverty and the development gap between urban and rural areas. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa must strengthen laws and implement intervention programs to protect vulnerable populations from human trafficking and exploitation.