Government to build shelters for trafficked children

Accra, April 27, GNA - Government would build shelters in Accra and Kumasi for trafficked and vulnerable children until their reintegration i= nto society. Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC) announced this when addressing the opening session of a four-day capacity building workshop to combat trafficking in persons and irregular=

migration from and through Ghana.

The workshop, the third in the series, would train government officials, law enforcement agencies, judiciary and officials of NGOs. It is the last workshop under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and MOW= AC. Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the shelter to be built in all regional capit= als would accommodate vulnerable and victims of trafficking until investigati= ons were completed for re-union with their families.

"This will facilitate our work and save cost instead of depending on=

hotels," she said. Mrs Azumah-Mensah said information dissemination and awareness creat= ion campaigns about the trafficking phenomenon in Ghana had yielded positive results in view of the frequent media reportage on the issue and vigilanc= e of law enforcement agencies. She cited an instance where two traffickers were arrested at Kpeve Police barrier in South Dayi District and attributed it to the hard work of security agencies. The Sector Minister noted that under the MOU many workshops had been=

organized, which created public awareness and educated officials in the front line of combating child trafficking and how to handle trafficking cases.

She said Anti-Human Trafficking Desk had been established in the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Department, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service and similar desks would be established at Custom, Excise and Preventive Service and Ghana Navy. Mrs Azumah-Mensah commended the Danish Government for funding the project, IOM, UNICEF and International Labour Organisation (ILO) for thei= r sustained fight against trafficking and irregular migration. Ms Dyane Epstein, Chief of Mission of IOM said the project had a dua= l mandate, the first being information dissemination targeting potential migrants in the Western Region identified as highly endemic area. Secondly, was capacity building for law enforcement agencies to dete= ct, investigate and prosecute child trafficking offenders. Ms Epstein said the project provided information to the migrants on procedure pertaining to the acquisition of authentic travel and identity document, risks and dangers associated with irregular migration. She announced that a Migration Consultation Centre and a hotline had=

been established in Sekondi-Takoradi to provide potential migrants with information on procedures pertaining to the acquisition of authentic trav= el and identity documents. Others are the risks and dangers associated with irregular migration=

and potential opportunities for safe and legal migration. The centre is being managed by a Takoradi-based NGO, Research and Counselling for African Migrants Foundation (RECFAM). 27 April 10