Ghana Police: Act Now To Save Children Smuggled Into Slavery!

  • by: Walk Free
  • recipient: Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, Inspector General of Police
In Ghana thousands of children are trafficked into hazardous forced labour in fishing, mining, agriculture, prostitution or domestic servitude.[1] Denied their most basic rights, they are destined to join the estimated 193,100 Ghanaians living in modern slavery today.[2]

Traffickers use public transport to smuggle children on Ghana's roads, filling buses with children taken from families by coercion or deception. If vehicles were systematically checked, many children could be safely returned home before their exploitation begins.

A recent operation by Challenging Heights and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Ghana Police Service in just one night resulted in the rescue of 33 children. Questioning of suspicious passengers quickly revealed that some adults who claimed to be their parents were in fact suspected traffickers! [3]

There are police checkpoints on all the major roads to some of the most notorious destinations for child slaves, such as Lake Volta; where an estimated 21,000 children are victims of hazardous labour in the fishing industry.[4] Since vehicles are routinely checked to ensure compliance with the law, it would be a relatively simple step to ensure that, their passengers are legal as well. By looking out for vehicles with suspiciously large numbers of children or checking buses at critical times of the year such as the school holidays, Ghana's police can significantly cut off the flow of children being trafficked into slavery. A recent operation by Challenging Heights and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of Ghana Police Service in just one night resulted in the rescue of 33 children. Further investigations revealed that, 4 were actually being trafficked whilst the the other 29 children were at risk of exploitation. Questioning of suspicious passengers quickly revealed that some adults who claimed to be their parents were in fact suspected traffickers! [3]

There are police checkpoints on all the major roads to some of the most notorious destinations for child slaves, such as Lake Volta; where an estimated 21,000 children are victims of hazardous labour in the fishing industry.[4]
Since vehicles are routinely checked to ensure compliance with the law, it would be a relatively simple step to ensure that, their passengers are legal as well. By looking out for vehicles with suspiciously large numbers of children or checking buses at critical times of the year such as the school holidays, Ghana's police can significantly cut off the flow of children being trafficked into slavery.


[1] United States Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2014
[2] http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/
2014
[3] http://article.wn.com/view/2014/08/11/
Joint_Challenging_Heights_Anti_Human_Trafficking_Unit_Operat/
[4] International Labour Organisation/International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (ILO/IPEC) Analytical Study on Child Labour In Lake Volta Fishing in Ghana
Dear Inspector General,

Thousands of children are being trafficked across Ghana, destined for a life of hazardous forced labour and the denial of their most basic rights.

Please issue a directive to all checkpoints to question any drivers carrying unaccompanied children or suspicious passengers.

Questioning adults about any minors accompanying them to confirm they are their parents or have good reason for travelling with them would mean that, many trafficked children could be safely returned home before their exploitation begins.

This relatively simple step can help cut off the flow children trafficked into slavery in Ghana. It is within your power to help change the future of these children and we therefore call upon you to act now.

[Your comments here]

Sincerely,
[Your name]
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