The International Justice Mission (IJM) office in Ghana has described as incredibly concerning the content of BBC Africa Eye’s documentary on trafficked children.
The BBC Africa Eye in the investigative report published on Monday, July 10, 2023, alleged some Ghanaian children have been taken from their homes in an operation backed by one of the world’s leading anti-slavery organisations, IJM.
The multimillion-dollar charity aims to rescue trafficked children and reunite them with their families but the documentary raised concerns about the West African operations.
In a statement, IJM reiterated protecting children’s welfare is at the core of its work in Ghana and is always looking to evaluate any ways to improve policies and practices.
IJM noted although it takes on board any refinements to its processes, a detailed investigation conducted revealed material inaccuracies in the BBC’s allegations.
The statement explained all decisions on whether to bring children to safety, as well as arrests and prosecutions, are made by the police and other Ghanaian authorities.
“IJM presents all the facts in advance of any action including distinctions between suspected cases of trafficking versus suspected cases of exploitative child labour. Police and authorities make their own determination if Ghanaian law has been violated,” portions of the statement read.
IJM added the prevalence, danger and severity of child trafficking and exploitative child labour in the Volta Lake fishing industry is well established and has been documented by the Ghanaian authorities, the United Nations, academic studies and even the BBC itself in previous reporting.
All cases IJM emphasised referred to Ghanaian authorities have gone through a rigorous review.
Read the full statement below:
