Over 2,280 seafarers have been abandoned aboard 222 vessels so far this year – with $13.1 million in unpaid wages and a 30% year-on-year increase in cases, according to new figures released by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
So far in 2025, at least 2,286 seafarers on 222 vessels have been left stranded, often without pay, food, or medical support. By comparison, at this point in 2024, already the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment, there had been 172 cases involving 1,838 seafarers and $11.5 million in unpaid wages.
A staggering 37% of all abandonment cases in 2025 have occurred in the Arab World – the highest proportion of any region globally. Thirty-four percent have taken place in Europe (the majority in Turkiye, yet to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention) – more than double the share of Asia Pacific, the next highest region.
The ITF warns that Gulf states, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and European states must do more to hold shipowners accountable and prevent abandonments in or near their ports.
“We are seeing a pattern of abuse that cannot be ignored and that must be confronted,” said Steve Trowsdale, the ITF’s Inspectorate Coordinator. “In recent years, the Gulf region, and the UAE in particular, has seen a huge increase in seafarer abandonment cases. Both there and in Europe, much more must be done to crack down on the rogue shipowners who need to know there’ll be consequences.
“Every single case of abandonment is a disgrace. It’s an intentional abuse of human rights, and the failure to end abandonment exposes a systemic problem in the maritime industry.”
Flags of Convenience under scrutiny
‘Abandonment’ has a specific definition under international law, meaning many of the cases involve seafarers being denied pay for two months or more, or being left stranded, or left without food or medical support.
The figures also highlight the structural enablers of abandonment. The Flags of Convenience (FOC) system remains central to the crisis. Vessels registered under FOC states, such as St. Kitts & Nevis (26), Tanzania (26) and Comoros (18) dominate the abandonment lists. These flags offer owners anonymity, deregulation and immunity from scrutiny – at the direct expense of seafarer rights.
Nearly 75% of abandoned vessels in 2025 so far are under FOCs. These flag states routinely fail to enforce international obligations or pursue shipowners who dump their responsibilities at the first sign of financial trouble.
“The Flags of Convenience system is parasitic on the maritime industry,” added Mr. Trowsdale. “It allows shipowners to hide behind paper jurisdictions while seafarers are left abandoned on rusting hulls. And when countries enable these crimes by looking the other way – or worse, profiting from them – they become complicit.”
ITF demands accountability
The ITF is calling on international regulators, port states, and the International Maritime Organization to take urgent action.
With global trade dependent on seafarers, the ITF warns that continued inaction threatens not just lives, but the integrity of the shipping industry itself – an industry in the midst of a recruitment and retention crisis.
A lack of enforcement and responsiveness from flag and port states, the absence of adequate insurance for vessels, and shipowners refusing to accept responsibility for crew welfare are common factors that contribute to abandonment – and make it harder to resolve. These failures are not just administrative gaps; they are enabling an industry where seafarers are discarded when no longer convenient.
“There must be accountability. If we allow this exploitation to continue, we destroy the very workforce global trade depends on,” Mr. Trowsdale concluded.
(ITF seafarer photo)