NCJ Number
216357
Journal
Perspectives Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 4-7
Date Published
2006
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the exploitation of children in the West African country of Ghana where children are trafficked to work in the fishing industry.
Abstract
Human trafficking is an international problem affecting millions of people and many countries around the world. In Ghana, West Africa, the internal trafficking of children is one of the biggest challenges. Many Ghanaian children are trafficked from their home villages to work in the fishing industry. The depletion of stocks is one of the key reasons why children are needed to work in the fishing industry. They represent cheap labor. Children are also trafficked to dive and untangle the fish nets. The driving forces behind child trafficking extend beyond the fishing industry; there are deep-rooted traditions that help explain the prevalence of this crime. In Ghana, it is common for children to participate in apprentice work. Ghanaian parents and their children believe that going away to work is a route to a better life. However, recently an intervention by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ghana made traffickers realize that children should not be made to work like adults and should be in school and with their parents. In 2005, the legal framework on trafficking in Ghana was strengthened when the government passed a comprehensive anti-trafficking bill. To assist traffickers who have released children, IOM has provided micro-credit assistance. Children released are taken to a government run shelter for up to 3 months until reunited with their parents.