MP urges Government to resource the Police to fight Human Trafficking

Member of Parliament (MP) for the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa constituency, Alhassana Kobina Ghansah, has called on the government to support the security agencies, particularly the police service to enable them fight crime such as the human trafficking trade in Ghana.

He said resourcing the police with the necessary logistics and personnel will help tackle trafficking in persons and modern-day slavery which has become a worldwide problem.

The menace, he added needed a global solution for which reason the United Nations organizes the World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness, encourage vigilance and gain support for the prevention of human trafficking.

Hon Ghansah made the call in a statement on the floor of parliament to mark this year’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons. It is an annually instituted commemoration by the United Nations and marked on July 30

This event by the United Nations is geared towards raising awareness and increase the prevention of human trafficking. The theme for this year’s celebration was, “Victims’ Voice Lead the Way”.

In furtherance of ensuring that the problem is discouraged among traffickers, the UN has produced a protocol to punish human trafficking and is hoping to implement this globally as well as an act to protect victims of trafficking.

But Hon Kobbina Ghansah is of the view that, despite the UN intervention, individual states like Ghana should help in fighting the menace by resourcing the security agencies, particularly the police to combat criminals.

“In order to fully attain and globally be recognized as dealing with the menace of trafficking and traffickers, the government must prosecute and convict any alleged traffickers as well as provide adequate resources for law enforcement to aid investigations and prosecutions, expand shelter capacity, address corruption in trafficking crimes, and finally amend the Anti-Trafficking Act (Human Trafficking Act 2005) regulations to remove the option of a fine in lieu of imprisonment in cases where the trafficker was a parent or guardian of the child victim,” the MP said.

He noted that security is a shared responsibility and therefore, the need for the citizens to actively get involved by providing information to the security agencies for the necessary action to be taken.

Full Statement

STATEMENT PRESENTED BY HON ALHASSAN KOBINA GHANSAH – MP FOR ASIKUMA ODOBEN BRAKWA TO MARK WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSON.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make this statement on a very important day celebrated worldwide led by the United Nations member states.

Mr. Speaker, World Day against Trafficking in Persons is an event observed across the globe annually on July 30. This event by the United Nations is geared towards raising awareness and increase the prevention of human trafficking. The theme for this year’s celebration is dubbed “Victims’ Voice Lead the Way”.

Mr. Speaker, this annual event with its significance was established and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/68/192 to provide opportunities for governments to reaffirm their commitment to stop criminals from exploiting people for profit.

Right Honourable Speaker, trafficking in persons and modern-day slavery is a worldwide problem with just a few countries immune to human trafficking. The problem needs a global solution that is why the United Nations organizes the World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness, encourage vigilance and gain support for the prevention of human trafficking. In furtherance to ensuring that this problem is discouraged amongst traffickers, the UN has produced a protocol to punish human trafficking and is hoping to implement this globally as well as an act to protect victims of trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, survivors of human trafficking are being used in this year’s campaign so as to help establish effective measures to prevent this crime, identify and rescue victims and support them on their road to rehabilitation.

Mr. Speaker, trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. The problem of human trafficking has caused many victims to have traumatic post-rescue experiences during identification interviews and legal proceedings. In fact, some victims have faced revictimization and punishment for the crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers, as well as stigmatization or inadequate support received by others.

Mr. Speaker, traffickers make huge profits from the industry almost equivalent to the drugs and arms business. Many individuals especially men, women and children are mostly victims of these traffickers who are often being tricked and misled to believe that there are better job opportunities for them elsewhere but end up been kidnapped and sold into slavery and other immoral practices such as prostitution.

GHANA POLICE

Mr. Speaker, the General Assembly through the 2010 United Nations Global Plan to combat trafficking in persons mandated the 2020 fifth United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (U.N.O.D.C) to come out with the report on trafficking in persons. The report covers 148 countries with an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in person cases between 2016 and 2019. It reiterates that poor socio-economic conditions are used by traffickers to recruit and exploit victims, extreme poverty, social norms and familial background play. Emerging patterns on internet technologies are the current trends used by traffickers to facilitate recruitment and exploitation. Many of these victims who are caught up in trafficking often lost their rights and identity, and are normally used and abused.

Mr. Speaker, let me further state that, trafficked people are forced to work in hard labour or engage in prostitution usually for no reward. Their travel documents and identity are collected from them and are warned of terrible punishments if they escape. To even worsen their plights, these traffickers take their victims to unfamiliar countries where they do not understand the language and have no way of getting help. In fact, some even die and are never heard of by their families and communities.

Mr. Speaker, almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. As a result of this, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (U.N.O.D.C), a guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (U.N.T.O.C) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their efforts to implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (i.e. Trafficking in Persons Protocol).

Mr. Speaker, these protocols are aimed to remedy the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation may include prostitution, sexual abuse, forced labour or services, slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Mr. Speaker, Ghana indeed has not been left off this global problem. In a Ghanaweb and Starrfm.Com.Gh publication of Sunday, 10 January 2021, it was reported that the police in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital had arrested some three (3) foreign nationals suspected to be human traffickers at Troma, a suburb in New Juaben South Municipality. In that report, about 20 victims including young women were recruited through the internet under the guise of securing them a well-paid job in Ghana. Their mobile phones, travel documents were seized by these traffickers as well as detaining and extorting monies from them upon arrival.

Mr. Speaker, according to the 2021 trafficking in-person report on Ghana by the United States Department of State, Ghana still remains at tier 2 considering the fact that Ghana does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.

Mr. Speaker, some of these efforts undertaken by the government includes convicting more labour traffickers, opening a dedicated shelter for child trafficking victims and increasing funding for victim’s services. The government also trained law enforcement personnel, judicial officials, community leaders and service providers, to be hard on these criminals whilst holding public awareness activities.

Mr. Speaker, however, in order to fully attain and globally be recognized as dealing with the menace of trafficking and traffickers, the government must prosecute and convict any alleged traffickers as well as provide adequate resources for law enforcement to aid investigations and prosecutions, expand shelter capacity, address corruption in trafficking crimes, and finally amend the Anti-Trafficking Act (Human Trafficking Act 2005) regulations to remove the option of a fine in lieu of imprisonment in cases where the trafficker was a parent or guardian of the child victim.

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let us all encourage and support the Ministry Of Gender, Children and Social Protection (M.O.G.C.S.P), The Human Trafficking Management Board (H.T.M.B), The Inter-Ministerial Committee mandated to administer the Human Trafficking Fund (H.T.F) to modestly increase anti-trafficking efforts and facilitate the protection and reintegration of trafficking victims. In doing so, it would help Ghana not only to meet the minimum standards set to curb the menace but also help prevent future occurrences.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Source: expressnewsghana.com