The government is set to publish a comprehensive list of certified recruitment agencies to help Ghanaians verify legitimate overseas job opportunities and protect them from fraudulent recruitment schemes and human trafficking.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the list, being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, will allow prospective migrants to determine whether agencies recruiting Ghanaians for jobs abroad are licensed and credible.
He said the list will also be shared with Ghana’s international partners so that foreign governments can identify and reject unlicensed agencies recruiting Ghanaians.
“If you are being recruited, please check if the recruiting agency is known to government,” Mr Ablakwa advised.
He said receiving countries would be encouraged to verify the credentials of recruitment agencies before admitting groups of Ghanaian workers.
“If your government is receiving a group of Ghanaians and the recruiting agency is not certified, is not part of the official list we provided, then you know that you are not to entertain these recruitment agencies,” he said.
The initiative forms part of broader government efforts to address unsafe migration, particularly cases in which young Ghanaians are lured abroad with promises of employment but end up facing exploitation, forced labour or trafficking.
Mr Ablakwa said Ghana had recently signed labour mobility agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar, while negotiations with Saudi Arabia were ongoing.
The agreements are intended to provide a more structured framework for the recruitment and protection of Ghanaian workers travelling to those countries.
The government has also been working with security agencies, diplomatic missions and other stakeholders to tackle fraudulent overseas recruitment. Earlier this year, the government warned that fake job advertisements and unlicensed recruitment agencies were among the channels used to lure young Ghanaians into trafficking and exploitation.
Mr Ablakwa further disclosed that the Foreign Affairs Ministry was working with the Ministry of the Interior on a framework to subject people travelling abroad in groups to greater scrutiny.
“It should not just be taken for granted that once you have a visa, you should be processed and allowed to leave the jurisdiction,” he said.
He encouraged Ghanaians seeking employment opportunities abroad to verify offers through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ghanaian diplomatic missions before travelling.
According to him, Ghanaian missions have the capacity to conduct due diligence on organisations and employment opportunities in their respective jurisdictions.
The Minister also said government would work with the National Commission for Civic Education, Information Services Department and civil society organisations to intensify public education on safe migration, with particular attention to young people vulnerable to fraudulent recruitment and trafficking networks.