19 seafarers stranded on UAE-owned shadow tanker

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has urgently appealed to maritime authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to intervene and rescue 19 seafarers trapped aboard the tanker Global Peace. Currently anchored in Al Hamriyah, off the UAE coast, the crew includes 17 Indian nationals, along with two others from Bangladesh and Ukraine. This distressing situation highlights the serious issues surrounding seafarer abandonment and the illicit oil trade.

Seafarers Face Dire Conditions

The Global Peace, a tanker owned by UAE-based Glory International, has been abandoned without a registered flag and is reportedly uninsured. The ITF has flagged this case as a severe violation of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), which stipulates that seafarers should not be left stranded. Many of the crew members have been onboard for over 15 months, significantly exceeding the MLC’s maximum contract duration of 11 months. Alarmingly, several crew members’ contracts expired more than five months ago, leaving them without any means for repatriation.

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Steve Trowsdale, the ITF’s inspectorate coordinator, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “This is a shocking case of abandonment that shines a light on how seafarers can be unseen victims of the illicit oil trade.” The ITF has formally reported the abandonment to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), aiming to ensure these seafarers receive the immediate help they need.

UAE’s Ongoing Seafarer Abandonment Crisis

The UAE has become a notorious hotspot for seafarer abandonment, with ITF data indicating that it recorded the second-highest number of vessel abandonments in the region during the first eight months of 2025. The 32 documented cases in the UAE are only surpassed by the 43 cases in Türkiye. Notably, the UAE has yet to ratify the MLC, raising concerns about the protection of seafarers within its jurisdiction.

The statistics further illustrate the severity of the situation: in 2024 alone, 3,133 seafarers were abandoned across 312 vessels, marking a staggering 87% increase from the previous year. As of August 2025, the ITF has already reported 2,648 abandonment cases involving 259 vessels, indicating that this year could surpass all previous records for seafarer abandonment. The ITF’s call to action seeks to shine a spotlight on these troubling trends and urge immediate governmental intervention to protect vulnerable seafarers at risk.