The USA declares a “cold war” on the world’s largest pool of seafarers, deporting Filipino seafarers and causing intense concern in the international shipping community.
A strange case is unfolding regarding the deportation of a large number of Filipino seafarers from the United States. It appears that the world’s largest pool of seafarers is facing serious problems in the USA.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Washington D.C. issued a statement on October 21, noting that it is in contact with US authorities regarding the entry bans that Filipino seafarers have faced and continue to face in United States ports.
There have been many reports of incidents involving seafarers with work visas, ever since the Trump administration began the crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States.
The embassy clarifies that it is in contact with the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. The US authorities maintain that these bans were made in accordance with existing laws, regulations, and policies.
Reports of crew members subjected to detailed inspections or removed from ships began to multiply from the spring, mainly on cruise ships. Ships operating on the Great Lakes reported that some crew members were removed from their ships, while it appears the same was happening to cruise ships arriving at various United States ports.
There were several reports that Filipino seafarers working on the Carnival Sunshine ship of Carnival Cruise Line, which was sailing from Norfolk, Virginia, had been subjected to a detailed inspection and had been deported.
According to the PhilStar news agency, the issue has also been raised during hearings in the Philippine Senate. The Undersecretary of the Department of Migrant Workers stated in the Senate that he knows of at least 93 Filipino seafarers who had been deported from the United States by mid-2025. He mentioned that 87 of these cases occurred after January 2025, when Donald Trump was sworn in.
Worker support groups report that seafarers were arrested and then deported, departing on flights from the United States without due legal process. One of these groups reported that more than 100 Filipino seafarers were deported between April and July, including at least 21 from the Carnival Sunshine.
The undersecretary stated in the Senate that none of the 93 deportees had been arrested, despite information about possession of child pornography. Furthermore, he stressed that no charges have been filed against any of these individuals. The department is cooperating with them to help them find new jobs.
The embassy, in its statement, said it continues to cooperate with US authorities, while also trying to ensure that mandatory consular notification is observed in cases of entry denial.
The embassy also mentioned that it investigated information that Filipinos were being deported to third countries.
He noted that the USA reported that an individual who could not prove his Philippine citizenship had been sent to Eritrea, while the remaining Filipinos returned normally to the Philippines.
The seafarers who faced denial of entry or were deported had all previously undergone the necessary checks. They are required to have been checked and to possess work visas to work on ships sailing from the United States.
As we all understand, this is not a positive development for Filipino seafarers — and not only. Every seafarer, regardless of their country of origin, ships out for a specific period to be able to survive themselves and their family. If they enter a process to disembark earlier without a serious reason, then their entire schedule changes and, in some cases, they may find themselves in a difficult position.
Let’s hope this problem is resolved and they stop fighting seafarers, treating them as malicious elements.
