FSUI Calls for Immediate Support for Seafarers on MV New Born
The Federation of Seafarers’ Unions of India (FSUI) has made an urgent appeal for the safety of 22 seafarers on board the merchant vessel MV New Born. Nineteen of them are Indian nationals. The ship is trading near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
According to the union, the ship received a radio warning that it said came from the Iranian Navy. The message reportedly told the vessel to leave the area at once and head for Dubai anchorage, and warned that the ship could be targeted if it did not obey. The warning came near the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks on merchant ships have risen sharply this month.
FSUI says the crew had already been working under heavy pressure. The vessel had been at Mina Saqr port in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, and later in Kuwait before sailing again towards the Hormuz area. Several crew members have asked to sign off and go home, but the union says neither the owner nor the ship manager has replied. The seafarers are still on board.
The union has asked the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Directorate General of Shipping, the IMO, the flag State, and authorities in the UAE and Kuwait to step in. Its demands are an immediate security check of the vessel, safe sign-off for those who want to leave, and safe repatriation.
These claims are the union’s account. No response from the owner, the manager or any government had been reported when the news was published.
Crew on ships trading near Hormuz have the right to ask for sign-off, and unions can raise the alarm quickly when owners stay silent.
