New data from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) shows that Indian nationals remained the most abandoned seafarers worldwide for the second consecutive year in 2025. According to the ITF’s annual analysis, 1,125 Indian seafarers were recorded as abandoned by the end of the year, the highest figure among all nationalities.
The ITF reported that a record 6,223 seafarers were abandoned across 410 vessels globally in 2025, surpassing previous annual totals and marking the worst year on record for abandonment cases.
Under the definitions used by the ITF and international maritime frameworks, a seafarer is considered abandoned if the employer fails to pay contractual wages for two months or more, does not cover repatriation costs, or leaves seafarers without essential maintenance and support.
Regional and systemic patterns
The ITF’s data indicates that abandonment cases were most frequently reported in the Middle East and Europe, with the greatest number of affected vessels linked to Türkiye (61 cases) and the United Arab Emirates (54 cases). The federation noted that vessels flying “flags of convenience” accounted for approximately 82% of the 2025 abandonment cases, highlighting ongoing regulatory enforcement challenges.
The union welcomed recent steps by the Indian government to blacklist ships and operators associated with repeat abandonment cases, describing such measures as an important step toward protecting Indian seafarers.
Maritime context
Seafarer abandonment is a longstanding labour rights concern and intersects with broader issues in international shipping, including weak enforcement of crew welfare standards, lax flag state oversight, and the use of open registries that can complicate accountability. Industry groups continue to call for strengthened regulatory mechanisms and greater cooperation among flag states, port states, and labour organisations to address the systemic nature of these incidents.
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