Kamal Ghorui
LONDON: Indian seafarers are the most abandoned in the world for the third year running.A total of 1,125 Indian seafarers were abandoned on ships in 2025 out of a total of 6,223 seafarers abandoned across 410 ships worldwide, making 2025 the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment.The number of Indian seafarers abandoned has gone up 25% compared to 2024, when 899 were abandoned. In 2023, it was 401. After Indians, the next highest cohort to be abandoned in 2025 were Filipinos (539).India is the third-biggest supplier of seafarers in the world, after the Philippines and China.Worldwide the total number of seafarers abandoned has increased by 32% and ship abandonments are up 31% compared to 2024, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), headquartered in London.ITF data shows that seafarers were owed a total of $25.8 million in 2025 as a consequence of abandonment. From this, the ITF has recovered and returned $16.5 million to seafarers.The two countries where most ship abandonments took place were Türkiye and the UAE.Seafarer abandonment is defined as failing to cover the cost of a seafarer’s repatriation; leaving a seafarer without maintenance; or severing ties with a seafarer, including failing to pay wages for at least two months.“It’s nothing short of a disgrace that, yet again, we are seeing record numbers of seafarers abandoned by unscrupulous ship owners,” said David Heindel, chair of the ITF seafarers’ section.An Indian seafarer abandoned with three Indian crew on the “Eleen Armonia”, off the coast of Nigeria, since June, without pay, said: “I can’t sleep from stress, and if this continues I don’t know how it will affect my health. I joined this vessel quickly because the assignment meant I could spend Christmas and New Year with my new daughter and family. I have now missed these and an important family event. As seafarers, it feels really shameful that we’re treated this way.”Last Sept India’s Directorate General of Shipping blacklisted 86 vessels linked to recurrent Indian seafarer abuse.Three hundred and thirty-seven ship abandonments in 2025 were on vessels sailing under flags of convenience — flags of a country other than the country of ownership. These flags are commonly used by shadow fleets (carrying sanctioned goods) to hide the identity of the real ship owner and are associated with poor safety standards and working conditions.
