A national anti-human trafficking forum has called on the Government of Ghana to stop treating victims of trafficking for forced cybercrime as criminals, warning that prosecuting them instead of identifying them as victims allows trafficking syndicates to thrive.

The call forms part of a communiqué adopted at the National Online Forum commemorating the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, where participants urged state institutions to adopt a victim-centred approach to tackling what they described as one of the fastest-growing forms of transnational organised crime.

The forum, organised under the theme "Trapped Behind the Scam – Protecting Ghanaian Youth from Trafficking for Forced Criminality," brought together representatives from government, international organisations, civil society, academia, financial institutions, the media and youth groups.

Participants expressed concern that trafficked persons who are coerced into committing cyber-enabled fraud are frequently arrested, prosecuted or deported before authorities determine whether they are victims of human trafficking.

According to the communiqué, this "victim-offender overlap" not only denies survivors justice but also enables the criminal networks responsible for recruiting and exploiting them to evade prosecution.

The forum therefore called on the Government to ensure that every individual rescued from, or returned from, a scam operation is first screened as a potential trafficking victim before any criminal charges or deportation proceedings are initiated.

It also urged the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and prosecutors to receive clear operational guidance on applying the internationally recognised principle of non-punishment for offences committed under coercion.

Participants further recommended that legal aid be provided to victims and that mechanisms be established to expunge criminal convictions imposed on people who were trafficked and forced to participate in online scams.

Survivors need protection, not stigma

Beyond legal reforms, the communiqué highlighted the long-term psychological trauma experienced by survivors, noting that many face rejection and stigma upon returning to their communities.

It warned that inadequate support systems leave survivors vulnerable to being trafficked a second time.

The forum therefore urged government to strengthen the Human Trafficking Secretariat and improve referral systems by expanding access to shelters, trauma-informed counselling, rehabilitation services and reintegration programmes.

Participants stressed that victims should not be re-traumatised by institutions established to protect them.

Online recruitment under scrutiny

The communiqué described trafficking for forced criminality as a crime operating at the intersection of human trafficking and cybercrime.

It warned that criminal syndicates increasingly target educated, English-speaking and digitally literate young people through fake online job advertisements circulated on social media and other digital platforms.

To combat the trend, participants called on the Cyber Security Authority to simplify public reporting of suspicious recruitment schemes, work with social media companies and telecommunications operators to remove fraudulent recruitment content, and strengthen collaboration between cybersecurity and anti-trafficking agencies.

The Financial Intelligence Centre, banks and mobile money providers were also urged to treat suspicious financial transactions linked to scam operations as potential indicators of human trafficking and to distinguish between criminal organisers and victims whose accounts may have been used under coercion.

Greater regional cooperation

Recognising the cross-border nature of the crime, the communiqué called for deeper collaboration among ECOWAS member states, INTERPOL and international partners through intelligence-sharing, joint investigations and coordinated law enforcement operations.

Participants also appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ghana's diplomatic missions to strengthen consular support and assisted return programmes for Ghanaians trapped in trafficking compounds abroad.

The communiqué further urged international organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to support victim identification, reintegration and data collection efforts.

Youth awareness campaign

The forum called for sustained awareness campaigns targeting young people through social media, peer educators and digital content creators.

Participants recommended promoting a simple message aimed at helping young job seekers identify fraudulent recruitment offers: "No legitimate employer takes your passport, charges you to work, or rushes you to travel. If an offer does any of these, it is not a job—it is a trap."

They also encouraged universities to establish campus ambassador programmes to educate students on trafficking risks while urging researchers and journalists to report on the issue accurately and avoid portraying trafficked persons as willing participants in criminal activities.

Unemployment identified as underlying driver

The communiqué identified unemployment and the attraction of quick money online as key factors driving young people into the hands of traffickers.

Participants argued that preventing trafficking ultimately requires creating meaningful economic opportunities for young people, adding that supporting survivors to rebuild their lives should be viewed as an important form of prevention.

As part of the forum's long-term outcomes, participants also resolved to establish the Ghana Civil Society Coalition Against Transnational Crime, a survivor-informed platform that will coordinate advocacy, prevention and protection efforts against trafficking for forced criminality and other transnational crimes.

The coalition is expected to be officially launched in Accra on International Youth Day, August 12, 2026, with plans to spearhead the formation of similar networks across West Africa and eventually the African continent.