Seafarer abandonment reached record levels in 2025, according to new data compiled by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), with 6,223 seafarers abandoned across 410 vessels.
Seafarer abandonment is in crisis, with the data marking the sixth year in a row that the number of vessels on which abandonments occurred has broken records and the fourth year in a row that the total number of seafarers abandoned has broken records: the numbers represent a 31% increase in such ship abandonments compared to 2024, and a 32% increase in seafarer abandonment.
ITF data, which will be submitted in a report to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) ahead of its discussion at a legal committee meeting this year, also shows that seafarers were owed a total of USD25.8 million in 2025 as a consequence of the abandonments. From this total, the ITF has recovered and returned USD16.5 million to seafarers.
"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.
“Every day, all around the world, seafarers face horrific violations of their human and labour rights, all so that bottom-feeding companies can make a quick buck at their expense. It’s very clear that this is a systemic issue in the industry – and that means we need the entire industry to come together with seafarers and their unions to say, ‘enough is enough’, and take action together to end this crisis.”
Seafarer abandonment is defined by the IMO under three criteria: failing to cover the cost of a seafarer’s repatriation; leaving a seafarer without necessary maintenance and support; unilaterally severing ties with a seafarer, including failure to pay contractual wages for a period of at least two months. The IMO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) run a joint seafarer abandonment database, recording 400 cases of abandonment of seafarers in 2025.
Indian seafarers were the worst affected national group in 2025, as in 2024, with 1,125 seafarers abandoned – at the end of 2025, the Indian Government announced that ‘blacklisting’ measures would be taken to protect seafarers from ships with a record of repeat abandonments and other bad practices.
Filipino seafarers were the second worst affected, with 539 abandoned, followed by Syrians with 309 abandoned.
The worst region for abandonment was the Middle East, followed by Europe. The two countries where most ship abandonments took place – the countries with the highest number of vessels on which abandonments occurred – both of which have significantly higher abandonments than any other country, were Türkiye (61) and the United Arab Emirates (54).
Flag of Convenience (FOCs) vessels feature prominently in abandonment: 337 vessels abandoned in 2025 – 82% of the total – were flying FOC flags. The ITF estimates that around 30% of the entire 100,000-strong global fleet of merchant vessels fly FOCs.
As in 2024, Panama, an FOC, remains the Flag State with the most abandonments (68, up from 43), while the number of abandonments under an unknown flag have more than doubled (46, up from 20).
In 2025, we’ve yet again seen the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment. But this isn’t just a story about numbers, these are the people – the workers – who keep our economy moving forward being forced into absolutely desperate situations, far from home and often without any clear resolution in sight.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said.
“As we’ve long said, the solutions to abandonment lie in accountability in the shipping industry ensuring that ship owners can’t dodge their responsibilities. The International Maritime Organization must be given more power to play a coordinating role in eradicating abandonment.”, he added.
The ITF is calling for the following steps to be taken to tackle seafarer abandonment:
Flag States to be compelled to log a ship’s beneficial owner, including contact details, as a pre-condition for registration
National blacklisting of ships to protect seafarers from ships with repeated involvement in abandonment cases, following the lead of India’s DG Shipping
Government investigations into the use of Flags of Convenience, as is currently underway in the USA
According to an ITF case study, the situation aboard the Eleen Armonia is part of a broader pattern of seafarer abandonment and labor violations linked to the shipowner. The case documents how Indian seafarers were left stranded off the coast of Nigeria for months without pay, despite expired contracts and repeated appeals for repatriation. It highlights the severe personal and psychological impact on the crew, caused by prolonged uncertainty, financial hardship, and broken promises from the company and its representatives.
