Abandoned at Sea and Stranded in Port: Analysis of Abandonment of Seafarers and Measures for Prevention

Abandonment of seafarers is one of the most severe challenges faced by maritime workers and is defined in the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006). It refers to a situation where shipowners fail to meet their obligations, such as wages, repatriation or essential resources such as food, water and medical care, leaving seafarers stranded and without necessary support for an extended period. This paper analyses the cases of abandonment available in the joint International Labour Organisation (ILO) / International Maritime Organisation (IMO) database on abandonment of seafarers from 2019 to the end of 2024. The analysis focuses on the different roles of flag state, port state and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The most frequently abandoned ship flags were compared with the white, grey and black list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the MLC 2006 detention database. Despite international conventions, there are still cases of abandonment worldwide, and they have a constant upward trend. In the analysed period, 795 cases of abandonment were registered. 72,45% of all cases reported in the analysed period, occurred within the last three years. 75,47% of all abandonment incidents involved ships registered under the Flag of Convenience. In resolving abandonment cases, all entities involved, such as the ILO, IMO, ITF, flag state and port state need to work together to resolve abandonment cases as quickly as possible, considering the mental health and well-being of seafarers. The paper proposes measures to strengthen the protection of seafarers and ensure accountability in the maritime industry.