Immigration Service inaugurates Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Unit at Paga

14/10/11                                                      

The Ghana Immigration Service with the support of UNICEF has established an Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Unit at Paga to operate as an intelligence heart beat on human trafficking in the region. It is also to prevent and combat trafficking in persons and smuggling and to protect and assist victims of trafficking with full respect for their human rights and paying particular attention to women and children. A three-day workshop designed to improve the skills of security officers from Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ghana Police Service, the Prisons Service, Transporters, Traditional Rulers among others, preceded the inauguration of the Unit at Navrongo  in the Kassena-Nankana East District of the Upper East Region. Some officials from Burkina Faso were also present to grace the occasion. Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Upper East Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service, Assistant Director of Immigration, Peter Dufie, said it was very appropriate to have agents of the Unit in the rural areas because victims of human trafficking usually hail from such areas where poverty was endemic. He called on the relevant agencies to share information and resources in order to make meaningful impact on combating the crime. He hopes that security officers at the various borders in the country would step up their efforts to combat the menace. He also showed his appreciation to UNICEF the sponsors of the workshop and the financiers to the Anti Trafficking Unit. The Head of Migration Management Bureau, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration, Belinda Adwoa Sika Anim, said human smuggling has been described by some experts as a high profit, low risk constantly evolve globalised form of crime that is being increasingly controlled by organizing criminal networks. Madam Anim said inter agency collaboration in the form of information exchange aimed at identifying traffickers, smugglers and victims of trafficking, as well as methods and means employed by traffickers and smugglers  would be required from all stakeholders in order to make  this objective achievable. A child Protection Specialist from UNICEF, Eric Okrah, said UNICEF has established 7 Anti Trafficking Units for the Ghana Police Service and has so far established 3 for the Ghana Immigration Service. This, he said forms part of UNICEF’s programme to complement government’s effort in combating human trafficking. He outlined plans by his outfit to establish more anti trafficking units in the country. The Project Manager of the Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, James Hayford Boadi, said human trafficking and smuggling are criminal activities which must be fought vigorously. This in his view is the intention for the creation of the unit since most traffickers use the borders. He said his agency will continue to fight to bring the menace to its barest minimum and called on the support of other agencies.

GBC                                         END                                                                        GMST/IA