The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is urging UAE maritime authorities to intervene on behalf of 19 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf. The crew, primarily from India, along with two members from Bangladesh and Ukraine, are aboard an oil tanker anchored in Al Hamriyah, facing dire conditions due to fake employment agreements and a lack of insurance.
ITF Inspectorate Coordinator Steve Trowsdale condemned this abandonment, emphasizing the need for immediate action to protect the seafarers, who have been trapped for 15 months—well beyond the 11-month limit established by the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Many contracts expired over five months ago, and their rights to repatriation have been overlooked.
The tanker is linked to a company under U.S. sanctions since April and reportedly has no insurance. The UAE has recorded 32 vessel abandonments in the first eight months of 2025, making it a hotspot for such incidents. Trowsdale highlighted the necessity for the UAE to ratify the MLC to better safeguard seafarers’ rights as the country expands its maritime industry.
As of July, over 2,280 seafarers have been abandoned on 222 vessels, accumulating $13.1 million in unpaid wages, reflecting a troubling 30% increase in cases.
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