By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
Ghanaians have been urged to remain vigilant against human trafficking schemes that often emerge during major global events, as excitement builds ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, warned that international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup can create opportunities for traffickers to exploit unsuspecting individuals.
Speaking in an interview during the two-day capacity-building workshop organised by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the International Justice Mission, the Minister said heightened enthusiasm around the tournament often leads people to fall victim to fraudulent travel and job offers.
She explained that traffickers frequently lure victims with promises of facilitating trips to watch matches or offering employment opportunities linked to the tournament.
“This is a very important workshop, especially coming at the back of the World Cup that is creating a lot of energy and euphoria in the country,” she stated.
According to her, some individuals are deceived through fake travel arrangements, only to end up being trafficked. “The side issues that we have to deal with when it comes to the World Cup are that unsuspecting victims are trafficked in the name of going to watch the World Cup,” she cautioned.
The Minister described the workshop as a proactive effort to build awareness and equip stakeholders with the knowledge needed to prevent such crimes.
She urged the public to exercise caution and ask critical questions before committing to any travel-related arrangements.
“This is a proactive way of supporting the country and all other persons to know that these things can happen, so we should all be on our guard,” she added.
She further stressed that beyond the existence of laws, effective enforcement and proactive implementation are essential in combating human trafficking.
“It is important that beyond legislation, we are seen being proactive in the implementation of the laws,” she said.
The Minister emphasised that sustained vigilance, public awareness, and coordinated national action are key to protecting vulnerable individuals and safeguarding the country’s security.
