Ghanaian human rights organization Challenging Heights, in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, rescued 82 victims of human trafficking and forced labor since January 2025.
The rescues included 57 children (31 boys, 26 girls) removed from the fishing industry and 25 Nigerian girls freed from forced prostitution. All victims received support, with the 57 children undergoing rehabilitation and educational assistance, while the 25 Nigerian nationals were repatriated.
Challenging Heights, a survivor-led NGO operating Ghana’s largest trafficking rehabilitation center, commended the police’s Criminal Investigations Department for two decades of joint anti-trafficking efforts. President James Kofi Annan stated the organization has rescued “thousands of boys and girls” from trafficking in fishing, mining, and farming over 20 years. He cited Global Slavery Index figures indicating 49.6 million people endure modern slavery globally, including over 91,000 in Ghana.
Annan highlighted Lake Volta as a critical zone, estimating 21,000 children in forced labor there. He urged Ghana’s finance minister to allocate at least GHC 20 million to the Human Trafficking Fund in the 2026 budget. Additionally, he called on the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection to amend Ghana’s 2005 human trafficking law to address current challenges.
Under Ghana’s Human Trafficking Act 2005, convicted offenders face prison terms of 5 to 25 years. Annan appealed to the public to cease activities enabling trafficking, emphasizing the law’s stringent penalties.
