Indian seafarers most abandoned in 2025, Experts warn of global shipping crisis

Indians were the most abandoned seafarers in the world for the second consecutive year, with 1,125 cases reported in 2025 , according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). Globally, 6,223 seafarers across 410 ships were left stranded, marking the highest number on record.

Seafarer abandonment occurs when ship owners fail to pay wages for at least two months, leave crews without food or medical support, or refuse to arrange repatriation . Many stranded sailors are left far from home for months , dependent on unions or NGOs for survival.

The ITF highlighted that 82% of abandoned ships were registered under Flags of Convenience (FOC) countries with lax regulations such as Panama or Liberia allowing owners to avoid legal accountability. The Middle East emerged as the worst region for abandonment, with Türkiye (61 vessels) and the UAE (54 vessels) topping the list.

Abandoned seafarers were owed a total of $25.8 million in unpaid wages in 2025, of which $16.5 million has been recovered by the ITF.

“Seafarer abandonment is not just a numbers problem; it represents workers forced into desperate situations far from home,” said ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton . He called for stronger accountability in the shipping industry and increased powers for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to prevent repeat cases.

The Indian government has responded by blacklisting ships and companies linked to repeat abandonments , a move welcomed by the ITF as a step toward protecting Indian seafarers.

Experts say abandonment is largely driven by financial issues, weak international laws, cost-cutting practices, and low bargaining power of junior crew members , particularly from India. Wars, sanctions, and port restrictions also contribute to ships being left stranded.

“The crisis is systemic and requires global coordination to ensure ship owners cannot treat seafarers as disposable,” the ITF added.