Global incidents of ships being abandoned mid-voyage are rising, leaving crews stranded at sea and without support. Indian sailors are among the worst affected, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), headquartered in London.
The ITF said 410 ships and 6,223 seafarers were abandoned last year. Such cases often occur when companies face losses or when ship owners are arrested for illegal activities, leading vessels to be left without proper arrangements for the crew.
Indians formed the largest group among those abandoned, with 1,125 Indian seafarers affected last year—an increase of 32% compared with the previous year. The figures have drawn attention in India’s maritime sector, as India is the world’s third-largest supplier of seafarers after the Philippines and China.
A recent example cited was the Mongolia-flagged cargo ship “Azra C,” abandoned in the sea area off Istanbul, Turkey. Four Indian sailors on board reportedly endured hunger and hardship for 10 months after the owners were arrested in an international drug trafficking case, before they were rescued following sustained efforts.
In response, the Central government has begun blacklisting ships linked to repeated deception and irregularities involving seafarers, the report said.
