NEW DELHI: Indians were the most abandoned nationality among seafarers for the second consecutive year, with 1,125 cases recorded by the end of 2025, according to data released by the UK-headquartered International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
The global union said seafarer abandonment worldwide reached record levels last year, with 6,223 seafarers abandoned across 410 vessels, the highest figure ever recorded.
Under the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) definition, a seafarer is considered abandoned if any one of three criteria is met: failure to cover repatriation costs; leaving a seafarer without necessary maintenance and support; or unilaterally severing ties with a seafarer, including non-payment of contractual wages for at least two months.
“It’s nothing short of a disgrace that, yet again, we are seeing record numbers of seafarers abandoned by unscrupulous ship owners,” said David Heindel, Chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section.
“Every day, all around the world, seafarers face horrific violations of their human and labour rights, all so that bottom-feeding companies can make a quick buck at their expense. This is clearly a systemic issue in the industry, and that means the entire industry must come together with seafarers and their unions to say, ‘enough is enough’, and take action to end this crisis,” he added.
According to the ITF’s analysis, the Middle East was the worst region for abandonment, followed by Europe. The two countries with the highest number of cases in the region were Türkiye (61) and the United Arab Emirates (54).
In data to be submitted to the IMO ahead of a Legal Committee meeting later this year, the ITF said abandoned seafarers were owed a total of $25.8 million in unpaid wages and entitlements in 2025. Of this, the union said it had recovered and returned $16.5 million to affected workers.
“In 2025, we’ve yet again seen the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment. But this isn’t just a story about numbers; these are people who keep the global economy moving, being forced into absolutely desperate situations, far from home and often without any clear resolution in sight,” said ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton.
Separately, the seafarers’ union welcomed the Indian government’s move in September last year to “blacklist” vessels linked to repeat abandonments and other malpractices, calling it an important step to protect Indian seafarers.
The union also highlighted the role of the ‘Flags of Convenience’ (FOC) system, under which vessels are registered in countries other than those of their ownership and operate under the regulatory framework of the flag state.
The ITF said FOC vessels featured prominently in abandonment cases, with 82% of abandoned vessels in 2025 found to be flying flags of convenience.
The federation estimates that around 30% of the global merchant fleet of about 100,000 vessels operates under flags of convenience.