Title: Charity’s Aggressive Rescue Operations in Ghana Raise Concerns over Child Trafficking Claims
Date: September 22, 2022
Author: Chiara Francavilla
Source: BBC Africa Eye
In a shocking turn of events, an investigation by BBC Africa Eye has revealed that a US-based charity, International Justice Mission (IJM), may have unjustly removed children from their families in Ghana under the premise of combating child trafficking. The investigation sheds light on the target-driven culture within the organization, which may have fueled the aggressive approach in child rescue operations.
The case in question took place on September 6, 2022, in the remote village of Mogyigna in northern Ghana. Armed men entered the village and forcibly removed four children, including 11-year-old Fatima, from their homes, causing distress and fear among the villagers. However, this was not a kidnapping but a rescue operation sanctioned by the Ghanaian police, allegedly under the Human Trafficking Act.
IJM, which has received around $100 million in funding annually for the past two years, is considered one of the leading anti-trafficking organizations globally. However, the investigation uncovered documented cases where children were removed without substantial evidence of trafficking. This aggressive approach was driven by a target-driven culture within IJM, according to the investigation.
The charity’s focus in Ghana has been rescuing children who are victims of trafficking for slave labor in the local fishing industry on Lake Volta. While the extent of child trafficking in the area remains unclear due to a lack of independent data, IJM estimates that more than half of the children working on the lake were victims of trafficking.
The investigation by BBC Africa Eye was initiated based on concerns surrounding IJM’s operations in Ghana. An undercover reporter was placed within the organization, allowing access to internal communication on an IJM WhatsApp group. The evidence obtained revealed discrepancies between the official narrative and internal conclusions reached by the charity.
In the case of Mogyigna, internal messages reportedly indicated that IJM had concluded there were “no elements of trafficking” in Fatima’s case and two other children taken that night. However, the charity proceeded with the removal operation, justifying it by claiming that the children were at risk of being used for child labor.
Following the operation, the four children were separated from their families and housed in an IJM-partner shelter for over four months before Ghanaian social services concluded that they had not been trafficked. Fatima has since been reunited with her family, but the aftermath of the operation still impacts the community.
Two separate cases highlighted in the investigation further raise concerns. In one case, a mother was wrongfully sentenced to five years in prison for child trafficking, leading to her separation from her children. The conviction was later quashed by the Sudreau Global Justice Institute, an IJM partner.
The investigation ultimately exposes the potentially damaging consequences of IJM’s target-driven approach. The removal of children without sufficient evidence has devastated families, led to financial hardships, and strained relationships within communities. It raises questions about the efficiency and ethical considerations of such operations and highlights the importance of transparency and accountability when combating child trafficking.
In response to the investigation, IJM maintains that its mission successfully relocated the four children to a safer location. However, the revelations unearthed by the investigation call for a thorough review of the organization’s practices and a reassessment of its approach to child rescue operations in Ghana.