The abandonment of seafarers by ship-owners increased by 87% in 2024 marking the worst year on record for the maritime labour abuse, according to the latest data released by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
The ITF said the abandonment of seafarers was “spiralling out of control” after it increased nearly two-fold with 3 133 seafarers abandoned by ship-owners in 2024 compared with 1 676 in 2023.
A total of 312 vessels were abandoned last year compared with 132 in 2023 – a staggering 136% increase. Twenty-eight ships were also responsible for abandoning multiple crews in the same year, with three vessels reported three times and 25 reported twice.
An ITF report, submitted to the International Maritime Organization, details the skyrocketing increase in the reported abandonment, and highlights the failure of the Flags of Convenience system that is central to ongoing impunity for abuses of seafarers’ rights.
Abandoned seafarers can experience months of unpaid wages, extremely poor on-board conditions, inadequate food and clean drinking water, and long periods of work without proper rest. In some cases, they are left completely stranded for months – even years – on end.
The lack of enforcement and responsiveness from flag and port states, the lack of insurance for vessels, and shipowners refusing to accept that they are mistreating their crew are common factors that contribute to abandonment and complicate the resolution of cases.
ITF Global Inspectorate Coordinator, Steve Trowsdale, said 2024 had been the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment.
“Ninety percent of global trade takes place through maritime transport and seafarers are the backbone of this industry. It’s an absolute disgrace that unscrupulous ship-owners are abandoning so many crews with impunity by governments and international regulators. This is nothing less than a betrayal of the key workers of global trade,” said Trowsdale.
Sanjay Gopal* is one of these seafarers. Stranded on board a tug without pay for 15 of the 29 months he’s been on board, he has seen three different crews come and go – each crew has left the vessel unpaid.
“All I’ve had are false promises that I will be paid and allowed to leave,” he said.
“I keep working despite everything because I don’t want the crew to suffer, and I am the only engineer on board. But I’m losing hope as each day passes.”
Gopal is owed around $40,000 – money that is vital for his family as the only earning member. He has been forced to sell his family heirlooms to make ends meet back home.
“I haven’t told my family about what’s happened to me, I don’t want them to worry,” he said.
Sanjay is one of the 899 Indian seafarers abandoned by ship-owners last year. They remain the largest cohort of those stranded at sea, followed by 410 Syrians, 288 Ukrainians, 273 Filipinos and 192 Indonesians. A total $20.1 million is owed to seafarers in unpaid wages, of which the ITF has recovered $10.4 million so far.
The United Arab Emirates is the port state of choice for vessel abandonments, accounting for 42 in 2024, while the second-highest port state for abandonment was Turkey, with 25 vessels.
Dubai has become one of the fastest growing hubs for the maritime industry over the last five years. Lower taxes, cost of living and housing are proving attractive to ship owners, brokers and managers, shipping banks, shipping lawyers, and freight traders alike.
The 46 Free Trade Zones across the UAE are attracting global companies with incentives like tax exemptions and streamlined customs procedures. But the lack of regulation is leaving more and more seafarers stranded, with vessels owned or managed by UAE companies also responsible for the largest proportion of all abandonments.
Flags of convenience
Ninety percent of abandoned vessels in 2024 sailed under a flag of convenience.
While Panama remains the flag with the most abandonments (43), there are a number of other flag states with a stark increase in cases. Palau (37), Tanzania (30), Comoros (29), Cameroon (20) and Bahrain (16) all recorded double figures in 2024.
Alarmingly, twenty cases were reported on vessels on which there was no flag, or a flag could not be identified, more than doubling the number of cases in this category.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said the “scandalous” rise in reported cases of seafarer abandonment “exposes the ugly truth of an industry which has relied on unchecked exploitative practices and lack of global regulation for far too long”.
However, he said the solution lay in plain sight: better regulation, enforcement and accountability from governments.
“By reporting so many cases, seafarers are sending a clear message. They’ve had enough of being treated like slaves. The industry must wake up and take robust action. Those responsible must be held to account and punished. Anything less gives a green light to these appalling abuses of fundamental labour and human rights.”
*Gopal’s name has been changed to protect his identity. Seafarers fear reprisals and blacklisting by employers for speaking out.
