Human trafficking in Ghana is taking an alarming turn as new figures from the Ghana Police Service reveal a sharp increase in reported cases and victims rescued within the past year.
Statistics from the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Ghana Police Service indicate that the number of recorded cases increased from 95 in 2024 to 127 in 2025.
Even more concerning is the sharp rise in the number of victims rescued. While 250 victims were rescued in 2024, the figure surged to 1,202 in 2025, nearly five times higher than the previous year.
Despite the increase in reported cases and rescue operations, convictions remain low, with only eight convictions secured in both 2024 and 2025.
The figures highlight growing concerns about an expanding trafficking network targeting vulnerable people, particularly unemployed youth searching for jobs and better opportunities.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop for journalists in Aburi, Eastern Region, organised by the International Justice Mission (IJM), Superintendent Williams Ayariga, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, attributed the rise in cases largely to QNET-related scams.
According to him, many victims are lured with promises of lucrative jobs, travel opportunities, and financial success, only to end up trapped in exploitative conditions.
He explained that traffickers often target unemployed youth and vulnerable persons through deceptive recruitment schemes, making it difficult for victims to realise they are being trafficked until they are already trapped.
The trend has raised concerns among security agencies and anti-trafficking advocates, who say Ghana is witnessing an evolving form of trafficking linked to online fraud, fake business opportunities, and organised criminal networks.
Limited shelters raise concerns.
As rescue operations increase, concerns are also mounting over Ghana’s limited capacity to accommodate and rehabilitate trafficking victims.
Officials from the Ministry of Gender, Children,and Social Protection (MGCSP) say the country currently has only three shelters dedicated to victims of human trafficking despite the rising number of rescued persons.
With more than 1,200 victims rescued in 2025 alone, stakeholders fear the existing shelters are overstretched and under-resourced.
The Ministry has also expressed concern over inadequate budgetary allocations for victim protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration programmes, warning that insufficient funding continues to affect the quality of care and support services available to survivors.
Experts say many shelters struggle with limited space, inadequate feeding arrangements, insufficient medical and psychological support, and challenges in providing long-term rehabilitation for victims rescued from trafficking situations.
For many survivors, rescue marks only the beginning of a difficult recovery process. Victims often return traumatised, emotionally distressed, and uncertain about rebuilding their lives. Stakeholders warn that without adequate shelter and support systems, some victims risk falling back into vulnerable situations that expose them to re-trafficking.
Emotional trauma and justice challenges
Beyond the statistics are painful accounts of emotional trauma, financial exploitation, and abuse suffered by victims. Many survivors return home psychologically distressed, socially isolated, and uncertain about their future.
Participants at the workshop stressed that trafficking leaves deep emotional and psychological scars on victims, especially children and young women who endure exploitation and abuse over long periods.
Stakeholders say the low conviction rate, despite the increasing number of cases, points to challenges within the justice system, including difficulties in investigations, limited public awareness, and fear among victims to testify against perpetrators.
They are therefore calling for stronger collaboration between law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, civil society organisations, and the media to intensify public education and improve prosecution efforts.
Participants at the Aburi workshop also underscored the critical role journalists play in exposing trafficking networks and raising awareness about the tactics used by traffickers.
They urged the media to adopt ethical and trauma-informed approaches when reporting on survivors to avoid re-traumatisation while ensuring victims’ stories help drive national action.
Calls for urgent national action
As human trafficking continues to evolve in Ghana, concerns remain over whether enough is being done to address its root causes, including unemployment, poverty, and desperation among the youth.
For many anti-trafficking advocates, the rising figures are more than statistics; they are a warning sign that urgent and sustained action is needed to protect vulnerable people from exploitation and dismantle trafficking networks operating across the country.
Stakeholders are therefore calling on the government to increase funding for anti-trafficking interventions, expand shelter facilities nationwide, strengthen prosecution efforts, and intensify public education campaigns.
Until stronger systems are put in place, many fear Ghana’s fight against human trafficking may continue to lag behind increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks preying on vulnerable lives.
