India cracks down on vessels abandoning seafarers at foreign ports
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), India, has blacklisted 88 vessels and restricted 278 others for repeatedly abandoning Indian seafarers at foreign ports. In total, 366 vessels have been flagged for violations, with blacklisted ships barred from hiring Indian crew.
Kolkata: The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), India, has blacklisted 88 vessels and restricted 278 others for abandoning Indian seafarers.
Abandonment occurs when a seafarer is left stranded at a foreign port without wages, food or repatriation efforts. Indian seafarers are among the most abandoned in the world. According to data released by the UK-based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), 1,125 Indian seafarers were abandoned in 2025 alone. This prompted the DGS and other agencies to take steps.
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Ships involved in abandonment once are now restricted by the Directorate, while those engaged in the act a second time are blacklisted. Blacklisted ships can no longer hire Indian seafarers to serve on board.
In an order passed recently, the DGS pointed out that abandonment constitutes a “serious violation of national maritime regulations and international obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).”
“A total of 366 vessels have been identified up to the year 2026 in connection with abandonment-related cases. Based on their severity, recurrence and the challenges faced during the enforcement and repatriation of Indian seafarers and the recovery of their outstanding wages, necessary action has been taken,” the order stated.
The DGS has also issued show cause notices to several Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) holders for their involvement in such cases, based on findings of the Director, Seamen’s Employment Office, Mumbai (DSEO).
The Directorate noted challenges in coordinating the repatriation of Indian seafarers from such vessels, leading to undue hardship, non-payment of wages, discrepancies between vessel particulars mentioned in Seafarers’ Employment Agreements/Form-I and the actual vessel boarded, involvement of multiple RPSL agencies in recruitment, denial of compensation in death or missing cases, denial of sea service benefits where the actual vessel differs from the contracted vessel, and severe psychological and financial distress to affected seafarers and their families.
It added that RPSL licensees are bound to act in the best interests of Indian seafarers and ensure valid statutory certificates, including financial security for repatriation, payment of wages, and decent working conditions under Section 301 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, read with the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, and the Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules, 2016.
“In view of the grave violations of seafarer welfare, abandonment practices, and non-compliance with international conventions, the 366 vessels listed are hereby prohibited from engaging Indian seafarers through any RPSL company approved by the Directorate General of Shipping, with immediate effect, unless compliance with the foregoing provisions is duly ensured,” the order stated.
No RPSL company shall engage, recruit, or deploy Indian seafarers onboard any restricted vessel or any vessel appearing in the ILO/IMO database on abandonment of seafarers. Blacklisted vessels – which have been involved in abandonment on more than one occasion – are barred altogether from engaging Indian seafarers.