180 enslaved Ghanaian job seekers in Niger rescued

Over 180 Ghanaians who went to Niger in search of greener pastures have been rescued from enslavement.

Nigerien police, with the support of Interpol, liberated the 180 Ghanaian men forced into slavery by sex and human traffickers. Apart from the Ghanaians, 46   minors, some as young as 10 years, were also set free from their captors.

Many of the rescued children were mostly Nigeriens forced into sex work in hostels and slums.

News portal, Africafeed reported that Nigerien police had earlier found 115 men who had travel documents seized by the traffickers.

The traffickers advertised jobs online with juicy packages to bait the victims.

“Victim interviews revealed that after a bus trip from Ghana, they were met by individuals who led them to the compound and refused to let them out.”

The police said, “two days later, 65 more men arrived. All the men had been recruited online from Ghana and promised” decent work in Niamey.”

Upon arrival in Niger, the police said the victims were told their “travel fees and all costs relating to their recruitment, including commissions, would be deducted from future wages.”  It is a ploy used by recruitment agencies to exploit their victims. It is a phenomenon well documented in the Arab world where Africa domestic workers are physically and sexually abused.

The police arrested 18 suspected traffickers in the operation that involved over 100 police officers.

Data from the International Organisation for Migration indicates that Niger is a source, destination and transit for human trafficking. The country is a route for thousands of Africans in search of better prospects in North Africa and Western Europe.

In 2016, Niger cracked down on illegal migration with pressure from the European Union.

However, migrations experts say the decision rather increased the risk of exploitation for migrants by forcing them to move in secret.