Tag: abandonment of seafarers

During its 111th session held in person from April 22 to 26, 2024, the IMO Legal Committee (LEG 111) covered various topics, including seafarer issues. Key discussions addressed the fair treatment of seafarers, and the establishment of a new Task Force to review the abandonment database.

Sixteen seafarers from Syria and India are stranded in the city of Hodeidah, Yemen, which came under attack from Israeli airstrikes over the weekend, with eight trapped on board the Captain Tarek. 

Cases of seafarers abandoned by shipowners without money, support, or the means to get home have reached alarming levels around the world, according to Stella Maris. 

IMO’s Legal Committee has finalized a new set of guidelines to ensure seafarers are protected against unfair treatment if detained in foreign jurisdictions on suspicion of committing a crime. 

The IMO Legal Committee meets in person for its 111th session (LEG 111) from 22 to 26 April 2024, where various legal matters will be discussed. 

In an exclusive interview to SAFETY4SEA, ITF's Inspectorate Coordinator, Steve Trowsdale, emphasizes that forced labor, human trafficking, and modern slavery remain under-addressed topics within the maritime sector. He suggests that these issues warrant more attention.

David Hammond, Executive Director of Human Rights at Sea International (HRASI), calls maritime stakeholders to incorporate the principles and terminology of human rights within maritime operations, and actively advocate for transparency and accountability.

India has submitted three papers to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in view of the upcoming 111th Session of the Legal Committee (LEG), asking the Organization to address current issues regarding the security and contracting terms of seafarers. 

New data from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) shows that there was a concerning uptick in the number of abandoned seafarers in 2023.

ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) has secured the freedom for 13 abandoned Filipino seafarers stuck in Singapore for five months and has won $1 million back for crews.