Ghana Rises to Tier 1 in US Trafficking Report
Ghana rose to Tier 1 in the 2026 US Trafficking in Persons report, the only African country at the top, as prosecutions more than tripled. The post Ghana Rises to Tier 1 in US Trafficking Report appeared first on The Rio Times .
Ghana has been upgraded to Tier 1 in the US State Department's 2026 Trafficking in Persons report, placing it alongside the United States, Canada, and Germany. The upgrade comes after the government fully met minimum US standards for eliminating human trafficking. This makes Ghana the only African country among the 35 governments on Tier 1.
The ranking impacts how Washington, investors, and cocoa buyers assess forced labor risks in the world's second-largest cocoa producer. For 2025, Ghana was on Tier 2, indicating significant efforts but not fully meeting the standards. The US report highlights improvements in prosecuting and convicting traffickers, identifying more victims, and increased funding for anti-trafficking measures.
However, it stresses that the Tier 1 ranking is a responsibility and not a reprieve, as the country still faces weaknesses in shelter space, limited police training, and unprosecuted government complicity in trafficking.
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