The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) in India has taken significant action against maritime companies by blacklisting 88 vessels and imposing restrictions on 278 others for the repeated abandonment of Indian seafarers at foreign ports. This decision follows alarming statistics from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which reported that 1,125 Indian seafarers were abandoned in 2025 alone. The blacklisted vessels are now prohibited from hiring Indian crew members.
Abandonment refers to the distressing situation where seafarers are left stranded in foreign ports without wages, food, or any means of repatriation. The DGS has categorized vessels based on their violation history—those involved in a single incident face restrictions, while repeat offenders are blacklisted. The DGS emphasized that such abandonment constitutes a serious breach of national maritime laws and international obligations, as outlined in the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.
Additionally, the DGS has issued show cause notices to several Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) holders for their roles in these abandonment cases. The agency highlighted the challenges faced in repatriating stranded seafarers, which often results in financial and psychological distress for them and their families. The DGS has mandated that RPSL licensees must prioritize the welfare of Indian seafarers and adhere to statutory requirements regarding wages and working conditions.
In light of these grave violations, the DGS has prohibited the listed vessels from engaging Indian seafarers through any approved RPSL company unless they comply with the relevant regulations. No RPSL company is allowed to recruit or deploy Indian seafarers on restricted vessels or those flagged for abandonment in the ILO/IMO database. Blacklisted vessels, having abandoned seafarers multiple times, are entirely barred from employing Indian crew members.
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