Seafarer Crisis Action Team: case studies
The COVID-19 pandemic put seafarers around the world in precarious situations. At the height of the pandemic some 400,000 seafarers were stranded on ships beyond the end of their original contracts and unable to be repatriated, due to COVID-related travel restrictions. A similar number of seafarers were stuck at home, unable to join ships and provide for their families. (Click here for our comprehensive FAQ on crew changes and repatriation). Issues of repatriation and medical assistance continued.
IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) has been working to help resolve individual cases, alongside other organizations like the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). IMO's SCAT team works by contacting representatives from national governments, NGOs, trade unions or relevant associations, or orienting seafarers towards the right organization, to find solutions. To date SCAT has dealt with over 500 cases involving thousands of individual seafarers. Cases continue to be reported to IMO.
Seafarers and their relatives can contact the SCAT by sending an email to info@imo.org
Here are some examples where IMO intervention made a difference. Please click on the title of the story that you would like to read.
Crew Change / Repatriation
A British seafarer was desperate to be reunited with her family after months working on a passenger ship in the Pacific. Her vulnerable relatives back home needed her support in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was determined to be by their side.
But her plan to fly home mid-March was derailed. Immigration authorities of the port State initially denied permission to travel, because the rules had been changed with almost no notice. The seafarer was stuck on the ship at anchor with no means of returning home.
On 31 March, she emailed a plea for help to IMO. “As I am sure is the case for so many other seafarers right now, I am so desperate to get home. My parents and grandmother are vulnerable and I cannot think about anything else”, she said. The seafarer added that her mental health was seriously affected, and she feared the situation would also impact her ability to perform her duties as a bridge officer.
IMO immediately contacted the port State and seafarer State and informed the relevant NGOs. Those efforts helped resolve the case. Thanks to the efficient cooperation between the local seafarer’s union and the port State, the seafarer was allowed to fly home on 12 April.
In a message sent to IMO the next day, she thanked the Organization and the port State for ensuring she could be reunited with her family. “I am relieved and overjoyed to be back! Thank you so much for all your help and support. I am also very grateful to [the port State] for allowing me to travel, the whole process was very well managed and controlled”, she said.
On 10 May 2020, IMO was contacted by a fatigued seafarer on an offshore support vessel. He and many of his colleagues had spent 100 days offshore – some had already counted 140 days – with no break and no prospect of crew changes. The seafarer was worried because his employer was planning to extend crew contracts by another two months.
"We are all feeling the strains of the long period offshore especially having no end date in sight. To many of us that is not good and certainly puts safety on the line", the seafarer wrote in an email to IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT).
The SCAT brought the message to the attention of the relevant NGOs in consultative status with IMO and liaised with the maritime authorities of the flag and port States concerned.
Following this swift intervention from IMO, the port State confirmed it would take the necessary measures to facilitate crew change while the ship was in its port or terminal, and the seafarer was able to go home and be reunited with his family.
On 14 July 2020, IMO was contacted by the distraught daughter of a Second Engineer serving onboard a crude oil tanker. Her father was unable to disembark due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated challenges encountered by the ship's management company of sending a relief.
In her email, she explained that her father had already served almost eight months at sea even though he was originally "supposed to sign off at the end of February 2020". She was concerned that her father "is in very low mental and physical condition" and that he had just been hospitalized "due to problems with his back". She feared his health would continue to deteriorate which could "lead to accident or tragedy", particularly as he no longer had a valid medical Certificate because his employment contract had expired.
The email was forwarded to IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT). The SCAT immediately contacted the seafarer's trade union organization and the maritime authorities of the flag, port and seafarer States concerned. The trade union, in turn, contacted the ship's management company and liaised with the port State's maritime authority, in this case the Chilean Maritime Authority, to resolve the matter.
After a concerted effort by all parties the Second Engineer was successfully repatriated on 25 July 2020 and reunited with his family. The Chilean Maritime Authority received a letter of gratitude from the daughter who first brought the matter to the attention of the SCAT, and this motivated its Director General to reaffirm, to the IMO Secretary-General, its "commitment to the measures adopted by IMO and the work done by the SCAT for the benefit of seafarers in the world".
After signing on for a six-month contract in September 2019, a seafarer still found himself on board his ship at the beginning of August 2020, over five months after he had served out his contract. He was concerned about the risk to his physical and mental health and was convinced that it was no longer safe for him to remain on board.
His ship was operating on a fixed route between two port States in Southeast Asia. However, his requests for repatriation from one of them had been rejected due to the State's strict COVID-19 border controls, and he felt his company was not interested in making the necessary arrangements to enable his repatriation from the other. The seafarer's reliever had also already joined the ship and had assumed his duties after they were properly handed over to him. The seafarer felt there was no justification for keeping him on board the ship and, on 12 August 2020, he requested assistance from IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) to facilitate his repatriation during the ship's next port call.
This ship was scheduled to arrive at the port on 14 August 2020. Conscious of the pressing timeline, IMO SCAT sought urgent action from the relevant States and NGOs. Responding on the same day, the flag State reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention were strictly adhered to throughout its fleet and offered its assistance. It immediately contacted the ship owner and manager and, after seeking the seafarer's explicit permission via SCAT, confirmed the seafarer's identity to the ship owner and manager, in order to inform and expedite their decision making and repatriation planning.
The seafarer contacted SCAT again on 17 August and said that although his ship was still berthed, he had not received a response from his company regarding his sign off. After a concerted effort by the flag State and SCAT, the seafarer was duly signed off and repatriated. On 28 August 2020, the seafarer confirmed that he had safely reached his country and thanked SCAT for its "help and support".
After enduring months of uncertainty, 17 distraught seafarers contacted their trade union on 15 June 2021 to report that they were “mentally, physically and emotionally tired of working”. Their ship had been arrested three months previously, due to a cargo dispute, and the owner had recently declared itself bankrupt.
Despite their company’s endeavours to repatriate them, they could not meet the strict crew change requirements of the port State because the ship was not trading. The situation was further compounded by strict border controls implemented between the port State and seafarer State in response to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frustrated about the lack of information, being kept on board the ship, and the persistent late payment of wages, the crew resorted to contacting their trade union, which in turn informed the seafarers' State. On 21 June the secretariat of a Port State MoU brought the stranded crew’s difficulties to the attention of the IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action team (SCAT).
After urgently referring the matter to relevant States and maritime stakeholders, the port State reassured SCAT that it was aware of the situation and had been “working closely with the shipowner, unions and the flag State to resolve the matter and assist the seafarers”. It also confirmed that it had facilitated the sign-off of eight crew members and would continue to work on the matter with the relevant stakeholders towards a resolution.
On 14 July, the port State informed all parties that the ship had departed its waters and the remainder of the crew would be changed at the ships next port call. The secretariat of the Port State MoU emailed to “thank all for your updates and action taken for helping …. Seafarers.”
On 28 October 2020, IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) received an email from a seafarer who recounted an incredible story of endurance and perseverance driven by her desire to return home to loved ones. The young mother from the Pacific, with eight years seagoing experience, had initially signed on for a three-month trip, but suddenly found her intended way home from the Antarctic blocked by a port State’s decision to suspend international flights as part of its COVID-19 response.
Like many other seafarers, the entire ship’s crew found themselves confined to ship and held at anchor. They made the decision to sail to Europe, despite only having limited provisions aboard. The voyage took 82 days and, after arriving safely, the seafarer then spent four months trying to arrange a repatriation flight.
On the final leg of her journey home the seafarer’s plans were once again thwarted by COVID-19 travel restrictions. While she remained in good health and high spirits, she was desperate to return home – the feeling intensified by how close she was to reaching her goal. At this juncture, after exhausting other avenues, the seafarer contacted SCAT and asked for help.
SCAT immediately reached out to the port and seafarer States and NGOs in consultative status with IMO and asked for their assistance. Within 24 hours, after a concerted effort by its COVID-19 Task Force, the seafarer State’s Alternate Representative to IMO confirmed that the seafarer would be allocated a seat on the next repatriation flight.
On 1 December 2020, after an 11 month around-the-world odyssey, the seafarer was finally reunited with her loved ones. The seafarer emailed her thanks to SCAT and said she was “so thankful to be with my family”.
On behalf of himself and 21 crew, a Master sent a harrowing letter to IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 9 June 2021. The letter described how they had been "living a nightmare" since the death of their colleague, at sea, three weeks prior.
Whilst sailing in Southeast Asia, their bulk carrier had sustained damage to its tailshaft and had been taken under towage to port for repair. During the towage operation a crewmember, with a history of hypertension, fell ill. Despite the crew's best efforts to administer medical aid to the stricken seafarer, supported by expert advice from a medical company, he tragically succumbed the same day.
The vessel had put to sea at the end of April and its crew had not interacted with anyone else since leaving port. The Master and crew had reported being in good health and free of COVID-19 symptoms, and the cause of death had been assessed by the medical company, as a stroke, via telemedicine. Notwithstanding this, and despite the best efforts of the shipowner and P&I Club to disembark the seafarer, the body was still on board the vessel after calls for assistance had been rejected by five port States.
In desperation, the Master and crew wrote to SCAT seeking "assistance and compassion" and "to be allowed to disembark the body of our colleague in order to be repatriated to his family". SCAT immediately informed the port State to which the vessel was being towed, flag State, seafarer's State and non-governmental organizations, and requested urgent assistance to evacuate the body of the deceased on humanitarian grounds.
The port State authority quickly took up the cause. On 10 June it cleared the vessel's arrival into port and evacuation of the body, subject to adhering to strict COVID-19 procedures, and copied the authorisation to national and local authorities. Despite this rapid intervention, SCAT received news from the Master and ship management company that local authorities had again denied access to the vessel on 11 June. The refusal to grant permission was based on an earlier decision communicated to the Embassy of the deceased seafarer.
SCAT conveyed the message to the port State and again stressed the urgent humanitarian aspect of the situation. After extensive coordination discussions between national agencies of the port State, the Embassies of the deceased seafarer and the ship management company, the owner's P&I Club, and local agents, the evacuation was belatedly approved on 19 June and planned for 24 June.
On 24 June the ship management company confirmed the body of the seafarer had been airlifted from the vessel and flown ashore, and that he would hence be repatriated to his family upon completion of COVID-19 formalities. Despite its sorrow for losing a respected member of the crew, the company thanked SCAT "wholeheartedly …. for your kind support and efforts".
The deputy minister of one of the port State's authorities also wrote to IMO to confirm the evacuation. He thanked all parties for their support and prayers and hoped that the seafarer may "rest in peace".
After several months of attempting to deal with the relevant ship management company, an Embassy asked IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) to intervene in a case affecting over 450 of its nationals across six cruise ships located in a European country.
Whilst ITF assistance, since March 2020, had resulted in various contractual obligations being belatedly met by the ship management company, attempts to secure seafarer repatriation had been unsuccessful, even though the majority had finished their contracts. The cumulative stress of confinement and the uncertainty about repatriation drove one desperate seafarer to attempt suicide on 19 May. Although he sustained serious injuries the seafarer fortunately survived, but the incident had a profound psychological impact on seafarers across the fleet. Increasingly concerned about their mental and physical wellbeing, and galvanised by suicide attempt, the Embassy redoubled its efforts to assist them.
Despite a hard-won commitment to repatriate the seafarers via charter flights, and daily contact between the Embassy and the ship management company, the company unilaterally cancelled its repatriation plan four days before its implementation. After exhaustive efforts to resolve the issue, the Embassy ultimately sought SCAT intervention on 16 June 2020.
SCAT responded to the seafarers' Embassy and its suggestion to convene a teleconference was readily accepted. SCAT swiftly invited the key stakeholders, including the Embassy of the seafarers' State, the European port State (plus the next intended European port State), two flag States, the State of the vessels' registered owner, ITF and ILO.
The SCAT chaired meeting was held on 18 June 2020 and, as a direct outcome, a ship that had signalled its intent to sail to another jurisdiction that evening was detained, as a preventative measure, by the Port State Control authority to enable a full inspection prior to its departure. The other five cruise ships were also inspected to assess compliance with the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention. In addition, the intended port State announced that it had also initiated an investigation.
The decisive action taken by the port States, the concerted pressure of the seafarer and flag States, and the steadfast assistance of ITF pressed the management company to settle the impasse and significant progress was subsequently made towards resolving the single largest case referred to SCAT. Between 2 and 15 July 2020, over 350 seafarers were repatriated, whilst most of the remainder agreed to serve as skeleton crew on board five of the cruise ships. On 16 July, the Embassy official wrote "I am grateful that we had the opportunity to discuss the matter facilitated by IMO and that we have your support on resolving the case."
After exhaustive attempts to assist the family and colleagues of a deceased seafarer over a period of nearly five months had failed, two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with IMO submitted a joint request for intervention to IMO and ILO on 6 September 2021. The request noted that it was "tragic and incredible that after all this time, it has not been possible to repatriate the master's body".
In addition to the considerable distress felt by late master's family, the NGOs were also concerned that "the psychological pressure on the crew is severely taking its toll and affecting crew wellbeing and could endanger their and the vessel's safety at sea."
The ship's master had succumbed to a suspected cardiac arrest in April 2021, and despite the best endeavours of the ship management company, P&I Club, various NGOs, local lawyers, and even overtures through diplomatic channels, his body was still onboard the ship almost five months later. Citing pandemic-related precautionary measures, even though the master had not presented COVID-19 symptoms prior to his death, a succession of twelve port States across Southeast Asia, East Asia and Southwest Asia refused permission to disembark his body between 19 April and 31 August.
The case was referred to the IMO Seafarer Crisis Action team (SCAT) on 11 September 2021. SCAT immediately set about notifying the relevant States and other maritime stakeholders to seek their urgent assistance on humanitarian grounds.
On 12 September 2021, the IMO Goodwill Ambassador in the port State the vessel was anchored at regrettably reported local health authorities had also refused to disembark the body, due to a COVID-19 curfew. However, he offered to forward SCAT's request for assistance to the Foreign Secretary for consideration. Conscious that the original decision might be upheld, SCAT, working in conjunction with ILO, sought to identify other contingencies.
The ship's next port of call was in the Middle East with the vessel expected to arrive on 21 September. On 13 September, SCAT notified the port State and requested its assistance. The seafarer State's Consul also commenced intense negotiations with national authorities in the intended port State, and the port State's Permanent Representative to ILO also intervened and liaised closely with the legal authorities in his country to facilitate the process.
Finally, on 29 September, the relevant P&I Club emailed all parties to confirm that the master's body had been taken ashore for autopsy and would hence be repatriated. It expressed "sincere thanks for your support and efforts to help resolve this terrible situation. We really appreciate your involvement and concern, which have been reassuring when facing such a difficult set of circumstances."
Concerned about an employee of a private maritime security company, who had been stranded on board a hotel ship in the Red Sea for two months, an ITF Inspector sought the assistance of IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action team (SCAT) on 1 January 2021, after his attempts to aid the seafarer had failed.
The seafarer, who had worked for the company for over two years, first messaged his employer in November of the preceding year to complain that he had worked for five months beyond his contract, without signing an extension. He explained that he wished to be repatriated to attend to family matters after the death of his father and wrote that "his presence at home is very essential to overcome the problems".
Upon receiving the ITF Inspector's email, SCAT circulated an urgent request for repatriation on compassionate grounds to relevant States and NGOs in consultative status with IMO. Within one day, the ship operator's State offered to establish contact with the hotel ship and to keep all parties apprised of the situation. Within three days the coastal State confirmed the ship could contact its MRCC to arrange emergency repatriation, and that the ship's agent could make the necessary arrangements.
The seafarer State's IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassador also responded to SCAT's request and asked the manning agent to provide urgent assistance. This in turn was forwarded to the private maritime security company, which contacted SCAT on 5 January to explain the practical difficulties of repatriating the security contractor by aircraft due to him being on board a hotel ship, which was anchored offshore. SCAT shared this information with the Goodwill Maritime Ambassador.
It also became apparent that attempts to repatriate the security contractor had been hampered by a dispute between the private maritime security company and the manning agent. Working diligently to resolve the issues, the Goodwill Maritime Ambassador liaised with both parties to draw up a workable solution. After a period of intense negotiations, the manning agent confirmed on 22 January 2021 that arrangements had been made to repatriate the security contractor by ship.
The security contractor was duly repatriated on 2 February 2021. After completing a mandatory period in COVID-19 quarantine, he was successfully reunited with his family.
After signing-on for a nine-month contract, three cadets still found themselves serving on board their ship over 13 months later. Convinced it was their last hope before having to serve, in accordance with their company's plan, an additional four to six months on board their ship, the cadets reached out to IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 24 August 2020.
They reported being "totally physically unfit" for duty and that "mentally we become so much depressed" and "everyone is facing different types of sickness". Like many seafarers, the cadets were also concerned about the threat COVID-19 posed to their families and said they were needed at home "in the time of difficulty".
The cadets believed there was an opportunity to be repatriated from the port State in Southeast Asia their ship had called into to discharge cargo; regular flights were operating, and they did not require visas to go ashore. The only procedural obstacle, outside those repeatedly erected by their company, was the requirement to return a negative COVID-19 test result before they would be allowed to fly home.
SCAT immediately requested the assistance of the port and flag States and raised the matter with relevant IGOs and NGOs. It also forwarded information that highlighted inconsistencies between the owner/agent's appreciation of the situation and the official position of the port State. Contrary to the owner/agent's opinion, the port State had declared its willingness to permit the crew change, providing it received an official request. SCAT informed the flag State and reiterated its request to assist the cadets.
On 2 September 2020, the delighted cadets emailed SCAT and the port State to confirm they were quarantining ashore before commencing their journey home. They signed off by saying "You did your best for us. Without you, it's not possible to go home as our wish."
Five crew members of a chemical tanker operating in the Middle East wrote to IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 27 July 2020, to express their anguish at still being on board their ship over three months after their contracts had expired. The seafarers claimed to be mentally distressed, and one was also suffering from a chronic physical condition.
While the seafarers understood local crew changes had been suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they referred to the joint commitment to facilitate crew changes and achieve key worker designation for seafarers that 13 countries, including the port State, had made during a virtual ministerial summit hosted by the Government of the United Kingdom on 9 July 2020.
The seafarers acknowledged that crew change restrictions had, in fact, been lifted in accordance with the joint statement. However, as their ship plied its trade solely within the waters of the port State, they required seaman visas from the Immigration Authority. Despite regular commercial flights to their home country, the seafarers were unable to disembark because their visa application had been rejected – apparently on the basis of their nationality. The seafarers asked SCAT to intervene on their behalf to ensure all seafarers were treated equally.
On 29 July, SCAT requested the assistance of the port State’s Permanent Representative to IMO and alerted the seafarer State’s High Commission in London, which in turn informed its Consulate General in the port State. The seafarers messaged SCAT again on 1 August and stated that their ship had called into port and would remain there for six days; they also described their deteriorating mental condition. The message was immediately circulated to relevant parties for information and action. Two days later the consulate confirmed the shipowner had applied for the seaman visas and that it was actively engaging with local authorities to facilitate their issue.
On 9 August 2020, SCAT received news that the Immigration Authority had issued the requisite visas. The elated seafarers wrote “Thanks to IMO to support us to go back our family. We are proud of IMO”.
On 7 September 2020, IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) received a request to “Help the Sailors!” from the despondent wife of an exhausted Ukrainian seafarer. Her husband had sailed from the port of Odessa on 24 August 2019 and was still, along with 18 other seafarers who had joined the ship at the same time, serving onboard the vessel after nearly 13 months at sea.
Despite being notified of impending crew change on four separate occasions, the shipowner/ operator had repeatedly postponed it, citing COVID-19 related port controls. The company claimed its attempts had been thwarted by local authorities in Asia who, despite appearing to permit crew changes, were exercising different measures for foreign and national crew. Aware that Ukraine had reopened its borders, the increasingly frustrated and tense seafarers also felt powerless because they were concerned about the potential consequences of continuing to request crew change. SCAT responded to the call for help and messaged the relevant States and NGOs requesting urgent assistance to repatriate the seafarers. The flag State and seafarer State quickly contacted the shipowner/operator and within two days they received favourable news; visas and flights for the relievers had been organised and they would travel to the ships next destination to await its arrival.
On 11 September, SCAT thanked stakeholders for their concerted efforts to assist the seafarers and informed them that their collective intervention had resulted in the matter being resolved in record time. The Master and crew were told they could expect to be paid-off around 20 September 2020
A seafarer from Bangladesh messaged the IMO Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 13 January 2022 with a desperate plea to “rescue me from here”. The seafarer wrote that he was in ill-health and no longer felt safe onboard the ship. To compound matters, his company had not provided any indication that it was planning to repatriate him, and he was desperate to return home. The seafarer was then already for longer than one year on board.
The cadet had joined his ship on 21 December 2020 on a 10+2-month contract and, despite requesting sign-off on 22 October 2021, he had been required to remain on board for nearly one month after his extended contract end-date. After reviewing the particulars of the case, IMO SCAT responded to the seafarer and referred the matter to the flag, port, and seafarer States, and NGOs in consultative status to IMO, for their urgent attention and action, as appropriate.
The flag State replied on 13 January 2022 and wrote that it "does not entertain such situations onboard” and undertook to investigate the matter further. It also confirmed that it would revert back when more information became available. Furthermore, the flag State thanked IMO SCAT for bringing the seafarer’s situation to its attention and offered assurance that it sought "to enforce all IMO/ILO requirements at all times."
The flag State messaged again on 14 January 2022 and reported that the owner/operator was facing considerable problems arranging repatriation due to ongoing port State restrictions in the area where the ship was operating. However, they had identified a port State where repatriation was possible and planned to re-route the ship, in order to conduct a crew change. Replacements for the seafarer in question and other members of the crew had been confirmed and were awaiting the ship’s arrival. The seafarer agreed with the proposal to effect crew change later in the month.
On 26 January 2022 the flag State informed IMO that it had received confirmation from the owner/operator that the seafarer had signed-off the ship and forwarded a copy of the crew handover report and confirmed itinerary as evidence of the date when the seafarer would be repatriated.
On 23 December 2021, the IMO Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) received a message from the Marine Director of a non-governmental organization (NGO) requesting urgent assistance. Five Philippines seafarers were stuck at an airport in East Asia and were unable to fly home. After intensive local and international efforts to resolve the issue had proved unsuccessful, the NGO hoped SCAT could intervene on the seafarers’ behalf so as to avoid them having to spend Christmas in the airport terminal.
The five seafarers had signed-off their ship in a Southern African port on 28 November 2021 and quarantined ashore, in accordance with local regulations. However, before the seafarers were able to be repatriated, the emergence of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus led to the reimposition of stringent international travel restrictions and the seafarers faced being stranded. After the intervention of the Embassy of the Philippines in the port State, the seafarers were granted permission to depart Southern Africa and flew to South Asia on the first leg of their repatriation.
They arrived on 22 December 2021 but were not permitted to pass through immigration to catch their onward flight, despite having written permission to travel home from their Embassy. As a result, the seafarers endured an uncomfortable night between the airport’s arrival gate and immigration control.
To complicate matters the seafarer’s PCR test results expired on 23 December 2021, and they were not permitted to travel to a test centre to undergo further tests. The NGO’s regional office had continued to work diligently with agencies in both the seafarer and port States but was unable to agree an approach that would not require the seafarers to be re-routed via another State and undergo an additional period of quarantine, due to the expiry of their PCR test results.
The IMO SCAT immediately referred the case to the seafarer and (air)port State on 23 December 2021 and requested their urgent assistance. The Philippines responded on the same day. They confirmed that their Embassy in Southern Africa had already given advice to the seafarer’s manning agency, and that their Embassy in the (air)port State and their local Labour Office were also in indirect communication with the seafarers and coordinating with relevant agencies at home.
On 24 December 2021, the Marine Director messaged relevant parties with heartening news, the seafarers had safely boarded their repatriation flight and were due to land within a few hours. He thanked all parties for their cooperation and assistance.
On 1 July 2022, a representative of the International Group of Protection and Indemnity Associations (P & I Clubs) forwarded to IMO a disturbing message they had received from the crews of two tugboats. The crews had not been paid their salaries and had reported their vessels were out of fuel, that they were living in total darkness, and were forced to sleep on deck due to the high temperatures below deck. They also alleged that there was no food onboard and were concerned their lives were being put at risk.
P & I Clubs confirmed that “neither of the vessels are entered with any of the International Group Clubs” but, in an effort to assist the seafarers, it had proactively requested details of the insurer and undertook to forward them to IMO upon receipt.
After acknowledging P & I Clubs’ message, IMO referred the case to relevant States, IGO and NGOs on 5 July 2022. Within one day, the Alternate Permanent Representative of the European State where the company was registered, wrote to IMO and offered to liaise with colleagues in his capital city to gather more information about the shipowner.
On 8 July, IMO received further correspondence from the Alternate Permanent Representative: the shipowner claimed to have repatriated the crews after paying their salaries. However, IMO pointed out that whilst the issues on board one vessel may have been favourably resolved, the other had been reported as a new case to the Joint IMO/ILO database of abandonment of seafarers by ITF on 6 July.
The Alternate Permanent Representative wrote, on 13 July: "We deplore such a situation, and … it is important that this solution be resolved quickly so that the seafarers are repatriated and their salaries paid without delay.” He reaffirmed that his Administration continued to engage with the shipowner and was working in close collaboration with the national ITF representative to obtain additional information and to resolve the matter.
On 26 July 2022, the national ITF representative informed IMO that the seafarers on board the second tugboat had also been paid and repatriated and, that as a result, it intended to close the case. IMO acknowledged the message and thanked all stakeholders for their support and decisive action in addressing the concerns raised by the seafarers.
Medical Assistance / Evacuation
When a 45-year-old Russian seafarer aboard a large cargo ship began to show signs of suffering a stroke, in mid-April, the ship’s captain was immediately alerted.
The next day, the seafarer’s condition worsened. He seemed confused, his speech was laborious, he had pain under the left shoulder and his left arm and leg were paralysed. The captain knew he needed to act – and fast.
Global Voyager Assistance, a remote medical assistance provider, confirmed the stroke diagnosis. But the ship was more than 220 km from the nearest port, and the port authorities rejected initial appeals for emergency medical assistance, due to COVID-19 restrictions in place. Despite repeated requests from the vessel’s captain, the seafarer’s national trade union and that of the country the ship was headed for, the ship could not enter port. After several hours of intense discussions, the ship initially received confirmation that the vessel could enter port for the medical transfer to take place. However, that decision was reversed just six hours before the ship was due to arrive, and the captain was advised to set course for another port, in a different country, over 600 km away. The clock was ticking. The captain insisted and made a further request to obtain medical evacuation for the seafarer, but that second attempt was also rejected by the authorities, including immigration and a local COVID-19 Task Force – again due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) was then notified. It called on two UN agencies, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), to intervene urgently at government level to ensure international conventions were respected so the seafarer could receive the immediate medical attention that his life depended on.
IMO and ILO quickly took action. IMO contacted representatives from the national government while ILO offered to prepare an intervention letter. As a result, the medical evacuation was finally authorised and a police vessel was dispatched to evacuate the seafarer.
The president of the seafarer’s national union said: “After personally working on this case for over 48 hours, we are relieved our appeals were heard and our member was finally granted access to the medical treatment that he is entitled to. Our thoughts are now focused on [his] health, and we extend the best wishes of maritime unions worldwide to him and his family for his speedy recovery.”
“We want to sincerely thank [the local union] and the ITF for their assistance, and the ILO and IMO for their urgent intervention. Without their support we might not have succeeded in securing the lifesaving emergency evacuation and medical care”, he added.
On 14 May 2020, IMO received information about an emergency situation onboard a cargo vessel at anchor. A chief officer was suffering tremendous pain due to a swelling that was spreading from his gum to the left side of his face and part of his neck.
The vessel and charterer had requested a doctor visit to the ship five days earlier, but this was refused by custom authorities on the basis of COVID-related restrictions. During a video consultation, a doctor confirmed that emergency surgery was needed, as the risk of sepsis was very high. The seafarer's health was deteriorating every day, and he was already very weak and unable to move.
Further attempts by the ship's Master to secure medical evacuation were unsuccessful. Port authorities refused to allow the seafarer to disembark to receive the urgent medical care he needed, due to the 14-day quarantine requirements and because no quarantine hotels were available to host him.
His colleagues and the Master on board were fearful for the seafarer's life. "It is very difficult to understand, that in such dangerous situation there is no proper support to save the life of a human", one colleague wrote in a message that was transferred to IMO.
After being informed about the case, IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) immediately intervened, in cooperation with ICS and ITF, and contacted focal points of the port State and the seafarer's home State. Intense discussions and good collaboration helped resolve the case rapidly.
On 15 May, one day after IMO was informed of the situation, the SCAT got confirmation that the seafarer had been able to disembark and was being transferred to a hotel. As long as the COVID-19 test result was negative, he would be taken to hospital for the surgery he urgently needed.
A seafarer onboard a container ship sent a call for help to IMO on 12 April 2020. His contract, which was due to finish at the end of March, had been extended for another month. The seafarer claimed that his company was failing to take action to change crew, even though government assistance made that option possible.
While the seafarer recognised that he and his colleagues were not in a critical situation physically, he described serious impacts on their mental health. "We have meals, everything is okay, but the main thing is our psychological health", the seafarer told IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) in his first email.
The SCAT referred the seafarer to the relevant national maritime administration and trade unions, while also bringing the matter to the attention of the flag and port States concerned. This diplomatic intervention helped resolve the case, and the flag State confirmed it would assist the seafarer with his contract and repatriation.
The seafarer and another crew member were able to return home safely in May. In an email, the seafarer warmly thanked a SCAT team member for his help and support, writing: "you are really a man with a big heart".
A seafarer's fiancé, who had not seen her betrothed for over 14 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emailed the IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 2 November 2020. She explained that while port State policy had initially prevented him from signing-off his ship, since August 2020 opaque company procedures had contributed to numerous unsuccessful attempts to repatriate him. Consular and trade union attempts to expedite the process had received similar non-committal responses as those given to the seafarer and his fiancé.
The seafarer raised concerns about his ability to undertake his duties effectively and safely, due to the length of time he had served on board his ship. He also submitted several reports to his company recounting symptoms such as fatigue, depression, inability to concentrate and panic attacks. Increasingly fearful for her fiancé’s mental condition and physical health, and concerned that his state of mind endangered not only him but the entire crew, she contacted SCAT and pleaded for help to get a definitive timeline for his repatriation.
Within two days of receiving the request, SCAT responded to the fiancé and provided the latest guidance on repatriation. It also requested flag, port, and seafarer States, and NGOs in consultative status with IMO, to provide urgent assistance to repatriate the seafarer. A truly international effort ensued, involving excellent coordination and cooperation between multiple agencies in China, Georgia, Indonesia (one for its airport would be used as a stop-over for the multi-leg repatriation flight) and Singapore.
In early December 2020, SCAT received the heartening confirmation that the seafarer, after completing a mandatory quarantine period in the port State, had departed on a repatriation flight.
After receiving advice from Radio Roma that a seafarer on board one of its ships required hospitalisation, the ship's manager began liaising with the port agent to arrange medical evacuation. Conscious of prevailing COVID-19 border controls in the Southeast Asian port State, the manager also notified IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 17 August 2020, in the hope of expediting the evacuation of the stricken seafarer.
SCAT responded immediately; the port State was requested to provide urgent medical assistance, and the flag State, IGOs and NGOs, in consultative status to IMO, were notified. The port State promptly informed all parties that the ship was scheduled to arrive on 18 August and that local authorities were on standby to facilitate medical assistance, as arranged by the ship's agent, as soon as it arrived.
On 19 August the manager reported that a doctor had boarded the ship and diagnosed the seafarer's heart condition, but despite him requiring hospitalisation he had not been taken ashore, as planned, and was still on board the ship. Efficient communication between the manager and ship's agent quickly established that the transfer had been rearranged for 21 August and the medicated seafarer would remain on board, under careful observation, until the evacuation could be completed.
Despite the arrangement being agreed by all parties, contingent on the correct paperwork being provided, a miscommunication between local authorities meant that the planned evacuation was not permitted. A rapid exchange of emails between the manager, ship's agent, and port State officials ensued, and SCAT once again intervened on behalf of the ailing seafarer.
On the morning of 22 August 2020 SCAT received the uplifting news that the seafarer had been permitted to disembark and transferred to hospital for medical treatment.
After sustaining a workplace injury in mid-November 2021, a Housekeeping Steward on board a cruise ship in the middle East continued to suffer acute pain over two months later. Although he described his initial medical treatment as "caring and attentive", the seafarer had become increasingly disillusioned with the ship doctor's diagnosis, and his perceived reluctance to approve the seafarer's requests for an MRI scan, despite him being in constant pain.
The seafarer tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2022 and, after being placed into isolation on board the cruise ship, he and other infected crew were transferred ashore to a quarantine facility. Whilst in quarantine a company agent contacted them to assess their needs and the seafarer again requested an MRI.
Although a shore doctor did visit him, the appointment resulted only in the seafarer being prescribed more painkillers, and a muscle relaxant. Taking matters into his own hands, he forwarded an IMO circular concerning access to medical assistance ashore to his company. This led to a follow-up doctors visit and the issuance of a Medical Report recommending an orthopaedic examination and MRI.
Re-joining his ship in late January 2022, the seafarer presented the shore doctor's report but once again felt rebuffed by the ship's doctor. Desperate to identify the cause of the pain, the seafarer messaged the IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 29 January 2022 and asked for help. He wrote: "Instead of getting proper diagnosis and treatment I have just felt disappointment, stress, anxiety, frustration and pain which is not getting better as time flies by."
SCAT referred the matter to the flag and port States on 1 February 2022 and requested their urgent assistance. The seafarer messaged SCAT again on 2 February and wrote that in addition to being concerned for his own welfare, medical assistance "is a vital part of our industry. I am speaking this from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of other seafarers who are not well informed of their rights and are experiencing this kind of situation who cannot speak up against their company."
On 5 February SCAT received a further message from the seafarer. Despite having the preliminary results from his orthopaedic examination, he claimed that the ship's doctor was still insisting that his complaint was just nothing: "I told him if it was nothing, why I still feel pain for three months?" He signed off writing, "I am afraid that my rights as a seafarer and a human being is ceased. I am now in desperate need of your assistance."
A disgruntled seafarer wrote to IMO on 12 May 2022, and asked for its assistance to address an acute and delicate medical condition he had been enduring since April 2022.
After suffering debilitating side effects, he had stopped using the medication prescribed to him onboard and asked the shipping company to assist him further. The seafarer claimed that his request had been declined and that he had been instructed to either take the available medicine or to signoff at his own expense.
Despite trying to work through the pain and discomfort, the seafarer ultimately requested sign-off and repatriation as his condition had continued to worsen. However, when he asked about relief dates, the master told him it would not be possible until the company had found a reliever. The master voiced the company’s preference for him to recover on board and then return to work.
Becoming "fed up with the situation" the seafarer decided his only recourse was to seek IMO’s intervention. After responding to the seafarer, IMO sent an urgent request for assistance to relevant stakeholders, including the flag and seafarer States, on 13 May 2022.
The seafarer sent a further message to the Organization on 6 June claiming that he was "still kept onboard with my ailments and company had not made a decision for me whether I should sign off or not.” He also claimed that the company had failed to pay his salary, pending deductions to cover repatriation expenses, and wrote “firstly they made me suffer and now my family too by not sending balance of wages."
IMO duly referred the matter again on 7 June but, as the ship was already underway to its next port call, the correspondence was addressed to a representative of the intended port State in southeast Asia, rather than the previous port State in northern Asia.
On 13 June, IMO received an update from the seafarer. He had been relieved by his company and repatriated and was “very thankful to you for the efforts you had shown for my welfare.” IMO shared the good news with stakeholders, and on 14 June, it was thanked by a Deputy Minister of the port State for its “continuous effort in giving full protection to our seafarers.”
Approaching the end of his nine-month contract, an Oiler submitted a letter to his company requesting that he be signed-off on 26 April 2022, due to medical reasons, rather than work the one-month extension period. Unfortunately, his request was rejected.
In desperation, he wrote to IMO on 10 May 2022, and explained that his company was “forcing me to stay onboard” and that “I am mentally and physically exhausted.” He further complained that the poor quality of PPE on board exacerbated his ill-health and prevented him from carrying out his duties effectively.
Noting that the ship was in a shipyard in Southeast Asia, IMO responded to the seafarer and referred the case to the flag, port and seafarer States, and other relevant maritime stakeholders on 12 May 2022. Three days later, the port State undertook to forward the information to the relevant local authorities so they could investigate the matter. It also recommended that the seafarer should contact his Embassy, in the port State, for further assistance. IMO acknowledged the response but noted that the port State had an obligation to ensure seafarers are able to exercise their right to repatriation (MLC, 2006 Standard A2.5.1, paragraphs 7 and 8).
In line with the advice received from the port State, IMO also wrote to the seafarer on 13 May, and suggested that he consider approaching the Consular Affairs section of his Embassy to see if it could render any assistance, whilst IMO continued to liaise with the port and flag States.
The flag State informed stakeholders on 17 May that it had reached out to the Registered Owner, Operator and Local Resident Agents to investigate and remedy the situation on board the vessel; and on 18 May the port State shared the findings of its investigation: four crew members with expired contracts had been identified, and all had expressed their desire to be signed-off. The port State also confirmed all parties had agreed to facilitate sign-off at the earliest opportunity. IMO apprised the flag State of the investigation’s findings and drew particular attention to the wishes of the four seafarers.
On 20 May 2022, IMO received confirmation from the port State that the four seafarers had successfully signed-off and were waiting to catch their repatriation flights that afternoon. IMO thanked stakeholders for contributing to the successful outcome and thanked the port State, in particular, for its continued support in safeguarding seafarer welfare.
COVID-19 Outbreaks
On 19 July 2021, a ship owner, on behalf of the crew operating one of its ships in Southeast Asia, emailed its administration seeking urgent assistance "in order to avoid disastrous condition on board and preserve the life of seafarers".
The ship had arrived in port on 17 July 2021, dropped anchor and was awaiting berthing instructions. However, the Master subsequently reported a suspected outbreak of COVID-19 on board his ship to the ship owner. It tried to arrange for a local doctor to visit the ship and evaluate the health of the crew, but the port's Quarantine Officer denied access to the ship.
Although the ship owner's doctor provided advice and support, the situation on board continued to deteriorate. 13 of the 24 crew appeared to be suffering varying degrees of symptoms and the condition of some appeared to be very serious.
Out of a genuine fear for the lives of the seafarers, the flag State's Deputy Permanent Representative to IMO brought the seafarers' plight to the attention of IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) on 20 July. It requested SCAT's intervention to expedite the provision of urgent medical care. SCAT informed the port State and requested that it grant immediate medical assistance to the crew. The flag State and NGOs were simultaneously notified of the action it had taken.
The port State quickly acknowledged that it was aware of the situation and informed SCAT that it was coordinating a multi-agency effort to direct the ship to a safe area, organise medical assessment and to evacuate those crew members requiring hospitalisation. On the same day, it was able to report that Port Health Authority officials had boarded the ship and tested all the crew using the IMO COVID-19 Protocol. 11 members of the crew tested positive and those requiring medical assistance were evacuated.
On 5 January 2022 IMO received a message from a seafarer working on board a ship sailing a fixed route between two port States enquiring where he could request COVID-19 vaccinations. He was keen to be reunited with his family after 18 months away but could not satisfy Chile's pandemic border control measures.
The case was taken on by the IMO Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) and referred to the two port States, the flag and seafarer States, and NGOs in consultative status to IMO.
Quest for COVID-19 vaccination
Although neither of the port States routinely offered COVID-19 vaccinations to non-national seafarers, SCAT summarized the exceptional circumstances and asked for their assistance, so as to facilitate his repatriation. The Permanent Representative of Turkey to IMO responded on 8 January and said the seafarer could be vaccinated in Turkey.
However, on 18 January the seafarer messaged SCAT and explained that a hospital doctor had refused to administer the vaccine despite the company's local agent having made the necessary arrangements. Having already signed off his ship, the seafarer was residing in a hotel awaiting vaccination and the subsequent issuance of his visa. Understandably confused and increasingly anxious, the seafarer again requested help.
SCAT liaised with the Permanent Representative of Turkey and asked him to look into the issue further with some urgency. Thanks to his swift action, on 20 January SCAT was able to confirm the location, date and time of the vaccination to the grateful seafarer. The flag State echoed the seafarer's appreciation and thanked the parties involved in securing his vaccination.
Overcoming visa application hurdles
Believing the seafarer's predicament resolved, SCAT unexpectedly received a further communication on 1 February 2022. The seafarer explained that whilst his family resided in Chile they were, in fact, "immigrants in irregular status" from a neighbouring country. As such, despite having received the vaccine, he had to apply for a tourist visa in order to enter Chile. He had been informed that the online process was taking approximately two months and told SCAT the delay was "terrible for me and my family, we already have 18 months without being together".
Cognizant that it had no authority to intervene in the national immigration policies and procedures of a Member State, IMO reached out to involved parties again, on behalf of the seafarer, on 2 February to apprise them of the situation. Within two hours of SCAT sending the message, the Permanent Representative of Chile wrote to the seafarer, requested his personal details, and undertook to contact the authority in Chile responsible for issuing tourist visas.
On 10 February the seafarer messaged SCAT to say that "your effective intervention in my case, so atypical, continues to give results". He had been granted an interview in the Chilean Consulate in Ankara on 14 February and wished to thank "all IMO team work for all YOUR support and attention to my situation". SCAT thanked relevant parties for their continued support, for recognizing the intrinsic value of seafarers, and for their efforts to uphold seafarer rights.
SCAT received a further message from the seafarer on 16 March. Although he had been told to wait three weeks for his application to be approved, he had still not received his visa. Furthermore, he was by now under the impression that it might take up to three more months for it to be granted.
Expiration of seafarers' certificates
After spending two months ashore, and faced with the prospect of a further three, the seafarer contemplated going back to sea for a period of six months in order to fulfil his "economic responsibility for the well-being of my family." Unfortunately, in the interim his STCW certificates had expired, and he asked SCAT about the possibility of extending them.
SCAT liaised with colleagues within IMO and advised the seafarer that IMO Circular Letter No.4204/Add.5/Rev.1, encouraged Administrations and Port State control authorities to take a pragmatic and practical approach with regard to the extension of certificates, including medical certificates, and endorsements amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He was advised to contact his maritime Administration and seek their advice, as appropriate. SCAT also messaged the Permanent Representative of Chile to keep him abreast of the situation and referred the case to the State of which the seafarer is a national, for its information and action.
Repatriation and Reunion
On 20 March SCAT received gratifying news from the seafarer concerning his complex case. He confirmed that he had been granted the visa to return to Chile. He started his homeward journey on 23 March, and on 24 March 2022 he messaged to confirm that he was "finally reunited with my family" after 20 months, and "will be eternally grateful to you and your team for all your support."
A Third Officer wrote to IMO on 11 October 2021 to request assistance with a “difficult situation we have on board”. The difficult situation he described was a suspected outbreak of COVID-19, which repeated antigen tests suggested had infected five seafarers. Several other members of the crew were also showing symptoms of the disease, although they had yet to be tested.
His vessel arrived at the Eastern European port on 6 October and had been instructed to lie at anchor as a precautionary measure. The vessel had remained in quarantine since then and, despite reporting the onboard conditions to the port authority, the crew had not received medical assistance. Left to their own devices, the crew sought to deal with the situation by administering paracetamol and self-isolating in their cabins.
After contacting their operator’s office and being advised it could not do anything as it was itself waiting for instructions from the port authorities, the Third Officer decided to reach out to IMO. The matter was referred internally to the IMO Seafarer Crisis Action team (SCAT) for immediate action. The appropriate Member States and NGOs were identified and subsequently requested, on 11 October, to provide urgent medical assistance to the afflicted crew members.
The ship’s Administration contacted the shipowner, and on 13 October it informed SCAT that a seafarer with suspected COVID-19 symptoms was currently undergoing medical treatment at a shore based medical facility. His condition was stable and medical staff were awaiting laboratory results to confirm whether it was a COVID-19 case. The Administration confirmed the remainder of the crew were following COVID-19 protocols and local Sanitary authorities’ instructions.
On 14 October the Third Officer messaged SCAT to thank it for its help. He confirmed he had been transferred to hospital the day before and diagnosed with bronchitis, and that he expected to receive the result of a PCR test on 15 October. He further informed SCAT that another member of the crew had been transferred to a local COVID-19 centre on 12 October and that in total, three members of the crew had been disembarked and hospitalised since its intervention. He signed off his message by thanking SCAT and wrote “without your assistance it wouldn't have happened."
After a confirmed case of COVID-19 onboard, the distraught crew of a bulk carrier wrote to the IMO on 14 and 15 May 2022 seeking urgent assistance. The crew explained that "everyone is very helpless and afraid" and asked IMO to "help us find ways to save the lives of those on board".
On 11 May, whilst at anchorage in a port in South America, 11 seafarers replaced 12 who had signed-off earlier that afternoon. Despite the new Second Engineer presenting a severe fever and cough, the crew claimed that the shipping company had insisted on the crew change. The established crew members were also concerned that a number of the nucleic acid tests taken by the newcomers had appeared to be void, and further explained that some of the crew had retested three times, using different test kits, with the same outcomes.
Whilst the Second Engineer had been placed in isolation on board, the remaining crew believed that others "who are still in the incubation period are still in great danger. They have moved into the living accommodation of the ship, and there is no way to prevent the epidemic now." They thought the situation was "irresponsible for the lives of the crews and a violation of the lives of the 24 people on board” and also bemoaned the lack of "professional medical staff and medical equipment".
The case was transferred to the Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) for action on 16 May and the team immediately implemented its response and referral procedure. Links to relevant industry better practice guidelines were forwarded to the crew, and the flag and port States, in tandem with appropriate IGO and NGO stakeholders, were alerted to the situation. Mindful of the crews’ concern about a potential retaliatory response from the shipping company, SCAT was careful to anonymise information before it was shared.
The port State’s International Affairs Coordinator responded on the same day and confirmed local authorities would investigate the matter, in order to establish how best to assist the crew. On 18 May, IMO was informed that the regional Health Authority was monitoring the outbreak on board while awaiting the results of PCR tests, and that the overall situation was being actively managed by the Maritime Authority. Concerned about the seafarers, SCAT asked to be informed of the PCR test results, the condition of the Second Engineer, and confirmation of any further action taken to safeguard the welfare of the crew.
On 20 May, the port State informed SCAT that another member of the crew had tested positive for COVID-19, increasing the actual number of onboard cases to three. As a result, the Health Authority had formally labelled the event as a COVID-19 outbreak and advised the master to quarantine crew identified as being close contact cases and isolate those who had tested positive. The message also confirmed that the condition of the infected crew was being monitored via telemedicine and that medication had been prescribed.
SCAT received further correspondence from the crew on 23 May 2022 thanking it for its "advice and the help given". The crew felt that as a result of its intervention, SCAT had helped to galvanise the local response. They also passed on the reassuring news that the infected crew members were stable and "prevention and control measures have been carried out onboard the ship."
SCAT communicated the update to stakeholders on 23 May 2022 and thanked all parties concerned for their efficient and diligent response.
Working conditions, Contracts and Certificates
In late March, the Master and crew of a bulk carrier, all of Indian nationality, grew increasingly worried that unloading cargo would expose them to considerable risks of COVID-19 infection.
A lack of a floating crane at an Asian port meant that the ship personnel were faced with taking 60 stevedores on board for three weeks without any screening on COVID-19 symptoms. These stevedores would be living in makeshift tents on the vessel’s decks to discharge a cargo of soybeans.
“Ship’s crew is very concerned about exposure to shore personnel during cargo operations, as it is impossible to maintain total isolation”, the shipmaster and 19 crew members said in a letter transferred to IMO on 1 April.
IMO immediately contacted ITF and ICS. The flag State was invited to mediate a solution with the Master and the shipowner, and an agreement was reached on 7 April. The ship was relocated to a different anchorage and the cargo was fully and safely discharged.
IMO's Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) received an email from a seafarer's fiancé on behalf of her partner, his compatriot seafarers and their families on 5 July 2020. She wrote to express their collective concerns about repatriation and referred to her fiancés recent experiences to illustrate her point. He had originally expected to be signed off in May 2020, but crew change had been prevented due to COVID-19 related border controls. A second proposed crew change was also cancelled in July and the crew were informed it would be rearranged for when the ship was in drydock.
The seafarer suggested that the cumulative impact of these disappointments had reduced morale on board the ship and their feelings of hopelessness were exacerbated by the alleged behaviour of their manning agency. According to the seafarer, it was attempting to coerce crew into signing contract extensions by threatening to restrict their access to water and the internet unless they cooperated. While some of the crew duly signed, the remainder did not.
After losing contact with her seafarer, the fiancé emailed SCAT and expressed that "We were worried sick and they were so stressed there. The way they were treated was dehumanizing". SCAT responded to her on 7 July 2020 and referred the issue to relevant States and NGOs for urgent action. The seafarer's fiancé thanked SCAT and said "It is of great privilege to address to you our gratitude for the immediate actions you have made for the good sake of our seafarer family".
On 9 July one of the East Asian port States involved expressed its "gratitude to SCAT for its hard work in handling seafarers' affairs" and offered to engage with the "shipping company so that it can take proper action". The other port State also responded positively to SCAT's request and confirmed that the issue had been relayed to the appropriate authorities.
The combined efforts of SCAT, port States and flag State had the positive effect, and on 16 July the ship management company informed all parties that the crew would be signed-off by the middle of August. The overjoyed fiancé wrote to say "Our family and the rest of the seafarers crew are in deep appreciation of the actions you have done for us".
Concerned about the welfare of four of its employees being repatriated by ship to their home in South Asia, a private maritime security company emailed IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) and a broad cross-section of State, IGO and NGO stakeholders on 1 March 2021. The email sought to draw attention to the plight of the four men and requested support to overcome the operational challenges the company faced.
Although the ship had berthed in a port within their seafarer State, a financial dispute with a local agent had reached the point whereby it would not sign off the four men and permit them to disembark. The private maritime security company alleged that the agent was seeking to exploit the urgency of the situation for financial gain. Furthermore, it accused the agent of ignoring all attempts made to contact them, both by the private maritime security company and the ship’s Master.
Three of the four guards were being repatriated to attend to serious and complicated family matters that only they could resolve. The fourth guard was suffering from a severely infected leg wound that required urgent medical treatment in order to avoid sepsis. The overriding priority was the welfare of the guards and, as such, SCAT immediately requested the intervention of an IMO Goodwill Ambassador, who readily agreed to do whatever he could to assist the four stricken men. SCAT also notified the relevant authorities and maritime stakeholders and asked them to take urgent action.
After receiving a worrying update about ongoing delays and the worsening morale of the four guards from the private maritime security company on 2 March 2021, SCAT sent an admonishment to the agent. It stressed, in particular, the need to urgently sign-off the injured guard so he could be hospitalised, and reiterated that there could be no justification for considering commercial disputes when safety of life was on the line.
After this direct intervention, the agent informed all parties that it had completed the disembarkation, on compassionate grounds, on the morning of 3 March 2021 and that the injured man had been transferred to hospital. This was confirmed by the private maritime security company and its representative said “I thank you all for your attention and involvement”.
On 4 November 2021, IMO received a request for assistance from a seafarer working on board a Dive Support Vessel operating in the Black Sea. The company had yet to pay the seafarers’ salaries and their contracts, which expired on 4 November, stipulated that they “must be paid in full at completion of the contract on the sign-off date.” As a consequence of this clause, he and other members of the crew were unwilling to leave the vessel until they had been paid.
The seafarer, who joined the vessel of 8 October 2021, had worked for the company previously and had experienced similar difficulties concerning the non-payment of salary. As a result, he was concerned “that the company will send us home and we will wait an extended period of time, or even that we may never receive our wage.” He wrote “honestly speaking I do not expect that for the days worked during this month I will get paid”.
Previous attempts to establish dialogue with the flag State, State of company registration, port State Authority, a non-governmental organization (NGO), and the vessel’s P&I club had failed. He described the “frustrating situations, as long as I feel like I am being held against my will onboard, but I cannot leave as long as the company is not paying my salary.”
IMO referred the case to the flag, seafarer and company registered States, an inter-governmental organization and NGOs on 8 November 2021, and requested their urgent action to resolve the situation.
On 9 November 2021, the seafarer informed IMO that he had hitherto received a non-committal response from the local Port State Control (PSC) authority when he had raised the matter. He also attached a number of media articles that criticised the practises of the company.
IMO received an update from the seafarer on 11 November 2021 confirming “that today the company has paid our wages in full, during PSC inspection”. He wrote “Your intervention and assistance are highly appreciated by all crew members. The ex-crew … is thankful to you and all the authorities that made this system work.”
IMO received a request for information from a seafarer working in East Asia on 3 January 2022. He sought the details of the local Port State Control (PSC) authority so he could report a hitherto undeclared fire incident on board his ship. The crew had allegedly been warned not to discuss the incident with anyone, including their families, but the seafarer felt the resulting ship safety and crew welfare issues needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Under strict conditions of seafarer anonymity, IMO referred the case to the flag State and governmental and non-governmental organizations on 4 January. It also asked the East Asia port State to provide the details of the local PSC office. The port State quickly provided the information, and this was duly forwarded to the seafarer.
The seafarer messaged IMO again on 11 February. He had managed to report the incident to the local PSC, but it had declined to board the ship due to COVID-19 protocols. However, the local PSC did detain the ship for six days in order to allow for repairs, but the seafarer said the Master had yet to authorise the work. He further claimed the crew was being coerced into making the repairs rather than shore personnel, as had been agreed with PSC. Worryingly, he also stated that their future livelihoods were under threat because “someone onboard on our vessel had reported the fire incident.”
IMO received a further message from the seafarer on 24 February 2022 confirming that the ship had left port and was underway to a port in South Asia. He claimed the ship was not adhering to watch-keeping requirements as the majority of the crew were still being assigned to repairing the ship. He also wrote that his principal blamed him for the incident that caused the damage and was “planning to let me disembark without completion of my contract”.
IMO again anonymized each of these messages to protect the seafarers identify and referred them to the flag and intended port States and other relevant parties for their information and action, to ensure they remained apprised of the situation on board the ship.
On 28 February the seafarer informed IMO that his ship had arrived at port and that on behalf of the crew “we are very thankful for your endless assistance”. He explained the ongoing tension between the Master and crew, in particular concerning living conditions and general welfare issues on the ship and reported that the damage was still being repaired by the crew. He also described his dire personal circumstances, as his personal belongings had been destroyed in the initial fire incident. The seafarer was finally able to report positive news on 2 March 2022. The South Asia port State had taken decisive action on the information it had received from IMO. A surveyor and PSC officer had been assigned to investigate the incident and the alleged subsequent breaches of safety and labour regulations. The seafarer wrote: “Our vessel now is still ongoing inspection. Thank you Sir.”
Whilst the disruption to crew-change and repatriation arrangements are slowly subsiding as international borders re-open and travel restrictions ease in many regions, the wider effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to reverberate across the maritime sector and to present difficulties for seafarers.
On 24 April 2022, a Third Engineer e-mailed IMO requesting its assistance. He had held a Certification for Engineer Officers of the Watch (EOOW), unlimited, since May 2002, and had successfully revalidated his Certificate of Competency (CoC) on three occasions. However, after applying to revalidate it for a fourth time, he was informed that he had accrued insufficient sea-time.
Due to the travel restrictions imposed by Member States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had experienced significant problems joining ships. This practical issue was exacerbated by a moral dilemma as he became increasingly concerned about leaving vulnerable family members behind again, after signing-off a ship at the end of the first wave of the pandemic. As a result, he had only served 10 months at sea, whereas he required a minimum of 12 months to revalidate his CoC again.
Whilst he praised the responsiveness and helpful attitude of the relevant Maritime Port Authority (MPA), he had been unable to submit his application online. The e-form automatically calculated sea-time and, as a result, the system had repeatedly rejected his application because he had not served the requisite time at sea. In his message to IMO, he noted: “I am sad and disappointed that due to requirement of 12 months sea-time asking for revalidation of CoC, many seafarers not able to get revalidate their CoC and painfully leaving sailing and unemployed and looking for shore job.”
The case was taken up by the IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) and referred to the High Commission of the State responsible for validating the CoC, the seafarer’s State and other interested parties on 26 April. The High Commission responded on 27 April and informed stakeholders that it would investigate the matter further.
On 4 May 2022, the High Commission informed IMO that the MPA had contacted the seafarer and, after due consideration of the special circumstances, had offered the seafarer “to undertake an ad-hoc oral examination that will allow him to revalidate his CoC on the condition that he passes the exam." It hoped "this solution would be a balanced and reasonable one for all involved." IMO SCAT commended the High Commission, and through it the relevant MPA, for its efforts to assist the seafarer.
Whilst the large-scale disruption to crew-change and repatriation arrangements had slowly subsided by the second quarter of 2022, as international borders re-opened and travel restrictions eased in many regions, the wider effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to reverberate across the maritime sector and to present difficulties for seafarers.
On 24 April 2022, a Third Engineer e-mailed IMO requesting its assistance. He had held a Certification for Engineer Officers of the Watch (EOOW), unlimited, since May 2002, and had successfully revalidated his Certificate of Competency (CoC) on three occasions. However, after applying to revalidate it for a fourth time, he was informed that he had accrued insufficient sea-time.
Due to the travel restrictions imposed by Member States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had experienced significant problems joining ships. This practical issue was exacerbated by a moral dilemma as he became increasingly concerned about leaving vulnerable family members behind again, after signing-off a ship at the end of the first wave of the pandemic. As a result, he had only served 10 months at sea, whereas he required a minimum of 12 months to revalidate his CoC again.
Whilst he praised the responsiveness and helpful attitude of the relevant Maritime Port Authority (MPA), he had been unable to submit his application online. The e-form automatically calculated sea-time and, as a result, the system had repeatedly rejected his application because he had not served the requisite time at sea. In his message to IMO, he noted: "I am sad and disappointed that due to requirement of 12 months sea-time asking for revalidation of CoC, many seafarers not able to get revalidate their CoC and painfully leaving sailing and unemployed and looking for shore job."
The case was taken up by the IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) and referred to the High Commission of the State responsible for validating the CoC, the seafarer’s State and other interested parties on 26 April. The High Commission responded on 27 April and informed stakeholders that it would investigate the matter further.
On 4 May 2022, the High Commission informed IMO that the MPA had contacted the seafarer and, after due consideration of the special circumstances, had offered the seafarer "to undertake an adhoc oral examination that will allow him to revalidate his CoC on the condition that he passes the exam." It hoped "this solution would be a balanced and reasonable one for all involved." IMO SCAT commended the High Commission, and through it the relevant MPA, for its efforts to assist the seafarer.
On 13 June 2022 the delighted seafarer informed IMO that his CoC had duly been revalidated on 4 June. He thanked the MPA for its understanding and assistance and also IMO "for kindly replying, guiding and encouraging me". IMO forwarded his message of thanks to the relevant parties and noted, in its response to the seafarer, that it was reassuring to know maritime stakeholders were finding pragmatic solutions to the challenge of upholding international regulatory requirements whilst recognizing, and endeavouring to minimise, the impact the COVID-19 pandemic continued to have on seafarers' welfare and livelihoods.
On 14 June the seafarer sent a final message stating he felt "safe that concerned shipping authorities are helping seafarers all over the world in their crucial time of COVID pandemic."