ITF Seafarers' Support

10/06/2026

03/06/2026

📈 Seafarer abandonment is rising - last year, over 6,000 seafarers were abandoned.

A new research project from World Maritime University - headquarters will investigate the experiences of abandoned seafarers and uncover the psychological and health impacts of being left without wages, food and repatriation.

In response to the alarming rise in reported seafarer abandonment cases, the World Maritime University has launched a major international research initiative to examine how existing international protections, particularly those under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), are implemented across flag, port, and labour-supplying States.

The continually growing abandonment numbers are deeply concerning with a total number of 410 new cases in 2025, affecting more than 6,000 seafarers. Behind every statistic are real people and families facing financial hardship, psychological trauma, and uncertainty.

With support from The TK Foundation, ITF Seafarers Trust, and The Seafarers’ Charity, the collaborative research aims to identify gaps in enforcement, understand the lived experiences of abandoned seafarers, and provide evidence-based recommendations for meaningful reform.

Learn more: www.wmu.se/news/wmu-launches-research-seafarer-abandonment

International Maritime Organization - IMO ITF - International Transport Workers' Federation

18/05/2026

⚓️ Happy International Day for Women in Maritime!

We are celebrating the women who inspire the future and keep our world moving. More and more women are taking up jobs in maritime as unions stand alongside them.

The ITF and our maritime affiliates are committed to promoting inclusion and achieving gender equality in maritime - on ships, ferries, in fisheries and on waterfronts across the world.

06/05/2026

📣 Seafarers - your safety is our priority.

Behind every one of the 2,000+ requests we’ve received is a seafarer who is stranded and desperate for help. These seafarers have names, families and rights.

The Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf is a designated Warlike Operations Area (WOA). If you are a seafarer onboard a ship covered by an International Bargaining Forum (IBF) agreement heading towards the WOA, you have enhanced rights, including the right to refuse to sail into the area and the right to be repatriated at the company's cost.

05/05/2026

🇧🇩 15 Bangladeshi seafarers from the MV Seaload Ark which sank off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, have returned home after 82 days.

"Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association officials said they remained in continuous contact with the seafarers and worked through the ITF to facilitate their repatriation" ✊

Dhaka: Fifteen Bangladeshi sailors of the ill-fated vessel MV Seaload Ark, which sank off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, have returned home on Thursday after 82 days. The sailors arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at noon on an...

05/05/2026

An Iranian official warned American forces will be attacked if they try to approach or enter the oil chokepoint, after President Donald Trump said the US military will begin guiding stranded ships through the strait today. Follow for live updates.

21/04/2026

ITF Inspectors visited the Indonesian embassy in Seoul as part of ongoing coordination to support and protect Indonesian seafarers 🇰🇷🇮🇩

In recent months, ITF Inspectors in Korea have secured USD$65,000 to cover medical treatment for an Indonesian seafarer and USD$53,200 in unpaid wages for a crew.

02/04/2026

"I get calls from seafarers at two o'clock, three o'clock in the morning. One seafarer called in a panic, saying: 'We are here bombed. We don't want to die. Please help me"".
- ITF Inspector

We are supporting seafarers stuck near the Strait of Hormuz. If you are a seafarer in need of assistance, please contact ITF Seafarers' Support.

One of the members of the support team said about 50 per cent of the emails they received from seafarers are about pay