Ghana has been upgraded to Tier 1 in the 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report published by the U.S. Department of State on October 8, 2026. This significant improvement marks Ghana's return to the top tier after seven years on the Tier 2 watch lists and rankings. The upgrade signifies that the Ghanaian government now fully meets the minimum standards required for the elimination of human trafficking.
The 2026 TIP Report noted that Ghana met the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking under the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The country's previous ranking was Tier 2 in the 2025 US Trafficking in Persons Report, a ranking it had maintained for seven consecutive years. A Tier 1 status is the highest category in the assessment and signifies that a government is considered to be fully meeting the minimum standards for combating trafficking.
Despite the upgrade, the report highlighted several challenges, including inadequate shelters, recruitment fee practices, and gaps in cybercrime investigations. The report also noted that Ghana investigated 222 trafficking cases in 2025, down from 273 in 2024, while prosecutions of alleged traffickers rose from 65 to 212 over the same period. The country secured 28 convictions, comprising 14 for sex trafficking and 14 for labour trafficking.
The report indicated that cooperation with INTERPOL and foreign governments led to the identification and repatriation of 756 foreign trafficking victims. The government also signed a memorandum of understanding with QNET to help identify and dismantle online scam operations linked to fraudulent recruitment and forced labour. Additionally, Ghana identified 2,331 trafficking victims in 2025, up from 794 in 2024.
The report said that of the total victims identified in 2025, 862 were Ghanaians and 1,469 foreign nationals, including 896 Nigerians. Other foreign victims came from Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Togo, Senegal, Niger, and Benin. The Ghanaian government also identified 567 Ghanaians exploited abroad and funded their voluntary repatriation.
The government allocated GH¢3.452 million for direct victim services in 2025, up from GH¢2.85 million in 2024. However, the report noted that shelter capacity remained inadequate, particularly for adult male victims. A shelter for adult female victims was also inoperable during the reporting period. The government conducted public awareness campaigns against fraudulent recruitment and online exploitation.
The report also highlighted concerns about recruitment and labour practices, including the lack of prohibition on recruitment fees charged to workers. Children remained vulnerable to forced labour in fishing, cocoa farming, domestic service, mining, and street hawking. The report linked child labour in cocoa-growing communities to poverty, low cocoa prices, and limited educational opportunities.
Key points
- Ghana upgraded to Tier 1 in 2026 US Trafficking in Persons Report
- Ghana met minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking under US Trafficking Victims Protection Act
- Inadequate shelters, recruitment fee practices, and gaps in cybercrime investigations remain major challenges
