In light of the crew change crisis that has arised, seven seafarers who have been stranded onboard a container ship for more than a year, are expected to be repatriated on 10 October, 2020.
In fact, the stuck seafarers are currenty onboard the Tropic Hope, which docked in Halifax harbour on Sunday night.
Following the situation, Karl Risser, ITF’s inspector for Atlantic Canada, said he met with officials from the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada to find a resolution.
“Canada has now worked out an agreement with the ship owner that they’ll be repatriated early on their next visit to Palm Beach” ...as Karl Risser said to Canadian CBC news agency.
For the records, additional seven people are expected to go home during a visit to Palm Beach on Oct. 23, but Risser said the first group is “the most critical” because they’ve been on the ship for too long.
What is more, the Tropic Hope has been working a route to Florida and the Caribbean from Halifax for more than a year without its crew going home following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In light of the situation, Risser’s group had asked for Canadian officials to detain the Tropic Hope in Halifax until the issue was settled.
In fact, on Sept. 20, he boarded the Tropic Hope and spoke with the captain and some of the crew. He said he learned six crew members had been on board since August and September of last year, well past their original nine-month contracts.
Overall, amid the crew change crisis, ITF and the Joint Negotiating Group, issued a joint statement to urge on seafarers’ rights.
