More than 6,000 seafarers were abandoned on 410 ships in 2025, marking the worst year on record for crew abandonment in international shipping, according to figures from the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
The 2025 total represents a 32% increase in abandoned seafarers and a 31% rise in ship abandonments compared to 2024, revealing a deepening crisis that labour groups say is being fuelled by the expansion of shadow fleets operating outside international regulations.
Abandoned seafarers were owed $25.8 million in unpaid wages, of which the ITF recovered $16.5 million.
“It’s not just about statistics. It’s about workers who keep the global economy running and who are forced to experience absolutely desperate situations, away from their homes and often with no clear prospect of a solution,” ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said.
Shadow fleet drives abandonments
Ships with opaque ownership schemes, inadequate insurance and flags of convenience are increasingly involved in crew abandonment cases, leaving seafarers unpaid and stranded for months, according to the ITF and International Labour Organisation.
Of the 337 ships abandoned in 2025, 82% were registered under flags of convenience. The ITF estimates around 30% of the global merchant fleet, comprising 100,000 ships, sails under such flags.
The organisation has campaigned against flags of convenience for over 75 years, warning they pose threats to seafarers’ rights and enable illegal activities.
Indian seafarers were the most affected nationality, with more than 1,125 abandoned in 2025. They were followed by Filipinos with 539, Syrians with 309, Indonesians with 274 and Ukrainians with 248.
The Middle East recorded the highest number of abandonments, followed by Europe. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates had the highest number of ship abandonments, with 61 and 54, respectively.
A total of 4,595 seafarers applied for ITF assistance in 2025, though not all abandoned seafarers apply for help and not all requests relate to abandonment.
Crisis worsening
The 2025 figures mark the sixth consecutive year that ship abandonments have increased and the fourth consecutive year setting a record for total abandoned seafarers. The ITF has tracked abandonment figures since 2022, with numbers rising every year.
Early indications for 2026 show the total number of abandoned seafarers already exceeds 6,000 cases.
Cotton called seafarer abandonment a “shameful practice” and urged the International Maritime Organisation to take a more active role in addressing the crisis.
“Addressing abandonment goes through accountability of the shipping industry and ensuring that shipowners cannot shirk their responsibilities,” he said.
The ITF’s evidence is expected to be submitted to the IMO for discussion at this year’s Legal Committee meeting.