Ghana has been upgraded to tier 1 in the United States Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report.
The ranking the highest in the United States of America’s assessment reflects improvement in Ghana’s efforts to investigate trafficking cases, prosecute suspects, and secure convictions.
The tier 1 classification recognizes countries assessed as meeting the minimum standard for eliminating human trafficking.
Dr. Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, who announced this at the third quarter meeting of the Human Trafficking Management Board in Accra, commended all partner institutions for the sterling efforts in moving Ghana to the tier one ranking.
What it means is that Ghana has fully complied with key indications required to reach such status and therefore could lobby for finding to undertake human trafficking operations.
Ms. Abena Annobea Asare, secretary to the board, who threw more light on the ranking, said Ghana had been on the tier 2 ranking for years, making the new ranking a huge recognition.
She explained, however, that the assessment identified some weaknesses in the country’s capacity to investigate trafficking linked to online scams and fraudulent recruitments. She maintained that it was leverage to do more in that area.
She also expressed optimism that the gaps identified would be worked on to ensure there’s a robust system in human trafficking management, adding that the ranking is deeper and goes beyond what we see.
According to the report, Ghana investigated 222 human trafficking cases in 2025, comprising 83 sex trafficking cases, 132 forced labour cases, and 7 cases involving unspecified forms of trafficking.
In the same period under review, 212 suspected traffickers were prosecuted, including 31 suspects in sex trafficking cases, 57 in forced labour cases, and 124 in cases involving unspecified forms of trafficking.
The court secured 28 convictions, comprising 14 each for sex trafficking and forced labour.
The report also highlighted Ghana’s cooperation with international partners, including Interpol and foreign governments, in joint operations against trafficking networks. Those operations are set to have led to the identification and repatriation of 756 foreign trafficking victims.
Despite the improved ranking, the report said shelter capacity remained inadequate, particularly for adult victims, while some law enforcement officers had used personal funds to provide temporary assistance to victims because of insufficient resources.
The report further raised concerns about the capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate cyber-enabled trafficking, including fraudulent online recruitment schemes linked to forced labour.
The report indicated that although 18 courts had received specialized training and adopted procedures for cases involving women and children, some courts still lacked judges and prosecutors with the necessary training to handle trafficking cases.
The report said human trafficking continued to involve sexual exploitation and forced labour including cases facilitated through recruitment networks and digital platforms.
Source: GNA
