As part of efforts to ensure maximum protection, care and proper rehabilitation of rescued victims of trafficking in Ghana, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba has presented an amount of GHS27, 800.00 to children of some shelters in Greater Accra and Central Regions.

The Minister presented separate amounts to three private and one state-owned shelters to cater for about 125 children, rescued from trafficking and are being rehabilitated in the shelters.

Presenting the Cheques to them, Madam Otiko Afisah Djaba expressed her deepest appreciation to the Supervisors of the Shelters for their readiness to accept and give quality care to the vulnerable children.

She was particularly impressed to see the children in very good health, in high spirit and undergoing literacy classes, recreation and enjoying their childhood which had been taken away from them while in exploitative labour before they were rescued.

The Minister used the opportunity to wish all children in Ghana a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year while promising support for other shelters offering similar care in due time.

The Government of Ghana has demonstrated improved antihuman trafficking law enforcement efforts over years. Ghana prohibits all forms of trafficking through its 2005 Human Trafficking Act, Act 694, which prescribes a minimum penalty of five years' imprisonment for all forms of trafficking.

Approximately 61 percent of all trafficking cases reported in Ghana are labor-related, while 39 percent were sexual exploitation cases.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is working closely with the Ghana Immigration Service to continue to patrol the borders and ports to expose crimes related to human trafficking and irregular migration especially of our young women to the gulf state to be exploited.

The Ministry is also working with the Attorney General’s Department and the Judiciary to prosecute perpetrators of trafficking.