The number of abandoned seafarers increased by 30% in the first half of 2025. This was reported by *Seafarers Journal* with reference to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
The ITF emphasized that the new figures indicate another alarming surge in the number of abandoned seafarers worldwide.
As of 2025, at least 2,286 seafarers on 222 ships were left in dire situations, often without wages, food, or medical assistance.
During the same period in 2024 (which became the worst year for crew abandonment), 172 cases were recorded, involving 1,838 abandoned seafarers and $11.5 million in unpaid wages.
As previously reported by *SJ*, Ukrainian seafarers will be able to obtain a Seafarer’s Identity Document (SID) abroad.
A shocking 37% of all seafarer abandonment cases in 2025 occurred in Arab countries—the highest rate among all global regions. Another 34% were in Europe (primarily Turkey, which has still not ratified the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC-2006)), more than double the share of the Asia-Pacific region, which ranks next in this indicator.
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