Challenging Heights rescues 82 children from trafficking in fishing industry
Challenging Heights, a human rights organisation, has, in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service (GPS), rescued 82 human trafficking and forced labour victims since the beginning of 2025.
The rescue included 57 children, made up of 31 boys and 26 girls, rescued from the fishing industry, as well as 25 girls from Nigeria who were rescued from forced prostitution.
All the victims rescued have received various forms of support. While 57 of the victims received rehabilitation and educational support, all 25 Nigerians who were rescued have been returned home.
Challenging Heights is a survivor-led Ghanaian NGO which operates the largest human trafficking victims’ rehabilitation centre in the country.
The President of Challenging Heights, James Kofi Annan, commended the GPS, especially the Criminal Investigations Department, for 20 years of relentless collaboration with the NGO in addressing the human trafficking phenomena in the country.
He said over the past 20 years, Challenging Heights has rescued thousands of boys and girls from human trafficking from various sectors of the Ghanaian economy, especially from the fishing, mining and farming industries.
Global statistics
Globally, there are over 49.6 million people found in modern slavery, which also includes human trafficking, over 91,000 of them are found in Ghana, according to the Global Slavery Index.
It is estimated that there are over 21,000 children found in forced labour on Lake Volta alone.
Mr Annan, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Finance to allocate a minimum of GH¢20 million to the Human Trafficking Fund in the upcoming 2026 budget.
He also called on the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection to initiate action to amend the 2005 human trafficking law, to take into account the exigencies of the time.
He said human trafficking is an offence punishable by Ghana’s Human Trafficking Act 2005.
When convicted, offenders could go to prison for a minimum of five years, and a maximum of 25 years and therefore took the opportunity to appeal to the general public to desist from any acts that could lead to another person becoming a victim of trafficking.
