Ghana’s neighbor, Togo and Nigeria have become the new routes through which girls are trafficked to the Gulf States.
The Ghana Association of Private Employment Agencies (GAPEA) explained government’s crackdown on illegal recruitment is responsible for the development.
Executive Director of the Association, Dr Princess Ocansey told Joy News Thursday, government needs to clear the current legal huddle to come out with an approved route for the recruitment exercise.
Related Article: No juicy offers for foreign unskilled workers in Gulf Region– Ghana Embassy warns
“Migration is something that people do whether we like it or not…so when there is no legal channel, the people will take the illegal channels,” she said.
Dr Ocansey’s comment follows Joy News’ latest documentary ‘Gold in the Gulf’ which highlights the abuse and torture Ghanaian girls go through.
Some Ghanaian women sign up to various recruitment exercises for menial jobs such as house helps in the Gulf States.
The Ghana Embassy in Saudi Arabia last month, cautioned Ghanaians who are planning to seek greener pasture in the Gulf country to reconsider their decision.
The Embassy in a statement on May 22 said there are unfavourable working conditions for foreign unskilled workers such as house maids and other labourers in countries under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The GCC is a regional political organisation comprising the energy-rich Gulf monarchies namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Embassy said Ghanaian agents and their foreign counterparts mislead prospective Ghanaian workers by promising them non-existent juicy offers.
The main route for the trafficking of the women was through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) but this has changed after the government banned some of the recruitment agencies for their illegal activities.
Dr Ocansey has warned, more people will be trafficked out of the country if the government does not address the legal issues.
Dr. Ocansey said there about 52 licensed Agencies and over 300 illegal agencies suggesting that it is only the unlicensed agencies that are into the illegal business.
But the Gender Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba said the government is working to launch a National Plan of Action on human trafficking.
“We are working hard to ensure that we are able to track these young girls [and] one thing to do is to have job creation centres,” she said.
