Accessibility.SkipToMainContent
International

Pandemic passport fracas leaves Indian seafarers 'stateless'

17 June 2020

Indian seafarers stuck in the UK with expired passports are being made stateless and refused transit home by immigration officials who refuse to comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) safe crew change protocols. 

Under protocols for safe crew changes agreed by the IMO in May seafarers with expired passports should be given an exemption for the purposes of repatriation. 

However, the High Commission of India in the UK has refused to accept IMO protocols for safe crew changes because 'IMO documents are only guidance'.

Nautilus understands that the situation affects Indian nationals globally, and that the Indian Bureau of Immigration has refused to acknowledge an email from the Indian Shipping Ministry asking that seafarers with expired passports be allowed home. 

The Indian Bureau of Immigration also made what appears to be an ultimatum - that if seafarers with expired passports board any planes, the entire air repatriation agreement with that airline may be at risk.

'It seems an incredible situation that a country would refuse its own citizens to return home because their passports have expired, and yet there are no facilities to get them renewed,' Nautilus International General Secretary Mark Dickinson said.

The International Chamber of Shipping has approached UN agencies the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to press India to change its policy on expired passports for seafarers.

ICS also contacted the Indian Shipowners' Association at the start of June for help lobbying the government but has yet to receive any feedback.

'The problem is with the Bureau of Immigration and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India,' ICS director employment affairs Natalie Shaw said.

'Shipowners want to arrange flights as quickly as possible to get crews home. Likewise, we then want to reciprocate by bringing new crews on to replace them. But we can't do anything now, we are completely stuck.'

The International Transport Workers' Federation has asked affiliates in India to lobby the government for a solution. 

The Maritime Union of India (MUI) has written to India's Minister of Shipping Shri Mansukh requesting approval for Indian seafarers whose passports have expired to board flights to India from the United Kingdom.

'We would like to add that seafarers cannot be dealt with as immigrants, tourists, business visitors or any other such category,' MUI said in the letter.

'These Indian seafarers have officially entered the port/s of United Kingdom when serving on their ships and are now simply waiting to fly out of the country, back to their homes. Their contracts are over (even after being extended because of the pandemic) and are being replaced by seafarers who have been flown to the UK to replace him / her, by their companies.'

MUI implored the Shipping Minister to accept as proof of authenticity Indian Seafarers' Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), issued by Government of India.

'Shipping companies have worked very hard to comply with all mandated formalities to ensure that shipping functions with as little difficultly as possible, given the present worldwide pandemic situation.'

To date, there has been no response from the Indian Government. 

'Regrettably as it has happened throughout the crisis, the Indian Government has been extremely obstructive toward the predicament of its seafarers,' ITF Head of Actions Unit Fabrizio Barcellona said.

The High Commission of India in the UK on June 16 denied any problems with issuing passports for Indian seafarers. 'We are open and accepting documents at India House, there is no problem with this.'

Indian nationals can apply for next-day passports online or approach HCI, London or our CG offices at Edinburgh or Birmingham, it said. 

Emergency Certificates can also be issued to facilitate an individual’s return to India in an emergency.


Tags

More articles

Featured
Health and safety

Nautilus FAQs on Covid-19 Coronavirus

  • Telegraph
  • 17 March 2021
International

Netherlands top country for crew changes as repatriations grind to a halt

The Netherlands was the top country for successful crew changes in May, with Port of Rotterdam enabling more crew transits than any other worldwide, according to data from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

  • News
  • 17 June 2020
Health and safety

Health ministers have crucial role in facilitating crew changes in EU ports

The ministers for health of all EU Member States must do their part to ensure that crew changes, medical care and shore leave for seafarers happen in their ports, said the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) and the European Communities of Shipping Associations (ECSA).

  • News
  • 17 June 2020
International

Seafarers 'to stop working' amid pandemic crew change delays

Merchant navy seafarers stranded at sea for months due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions could now start refusing to extend their contracts and stop working, potentially disrupting global trade, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) said.

  • News
  • 16 June 2020
International

Deadline day: UN calls on all countries to immediately facilitate safe crew changes

The secretary general of the United Nations (UN) has called on all countries to formally designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers, to ensure that crew changes can safely take place.

  • News
  • 15 June 2020
International

Canada introduces new two-step entry visa system for crew changes

Transport Canada has announced new procedures for entry visas to permit crew changes, according to the Maritime Executive.

  • News
  • 16 June 2020
International

Hong Kong relaxes crew change restrictions

Hong Kong has announced 'unrestricted' crew changes through the region's ports and airports in response to joint action from unions.

  • News
  • 12 June 2020
International

Unions reach agreement with Singapore on pandemic crew relief

Seafarers stuck onboard in Singapore due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been given hope of relief, thanks to new official crew change guidelines agreed with Nautilus Federation unions.

  • News
  • 28 May 2020
Nautilus news

Union calls time on governments using 'force majeure' to mask failures in pandemic response

National governments can no longer hide behind a declaration of 'force majeure' in order to mask failures in their pandemic response which have resulted in thousands of seafarers being stuck at sea well beyond their contractual obligations.

  • News
  • 05 June 2020
Health and safety

Sharp rise in seafarers failing UK medicals due to mental health conditions

Maritime medics have raised concerns over a marked increase in the number of seafarers failing UK medical examinations as a result of mental health issues.

  • News
  • 16 June 2020
Nautilus news

New UK mandatory arrivals form rolled out

New UK mandatory arrivals form rolled out

  • News
  • 09 June 2020
Education and training

Nautilus agrees extended sea time for cadets caught out by Covid pandemic

Nautilus has reached agreement with the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) to allow consecutive phasing of cadet sea time in response to training disruptions wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • News
  • 16 June 2020
International

Unions lobby US Congress to end MSC gangway-up order

Influential US unions have asked Congress to intervene on behalf of American merchant seafarers, whose liberty is being restricted by the gangway-up order imposed by Military Sealift Command (MSC).

  • News
  • 15 June 2020
Netherlands

Amsterdam to welcome back first river cruise vessel on 20 June

For the first time in months, Amsterdam is expecting a river cruise ship on 20 June. The port of Amsterdam will allow river cruise ships again under strict conditions laid down in the IG Rivercruise and EBU guidelines.

  • News
  • 15 June 2020
International

Singapore seafarers' union helps provide relief during Covid-19 pandemic

Nautilus affiliate seafaring union the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) is helping provide a seafarer relief package (SRP) for members adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • News
  • 26 May 2020
International

US maritime union MM&P seeks Congress help in battle to repatriate Maritime Security Program crews

The crews of five US-flag containerships are among the thousands of mariners who are essentially being held hostage aboard their vessels because of the breakdown in the crew change process caused by Covid-19, US maritime union MM&P said.

  • News
  • 27 May 2020
International

Crew change for seafarers must be top of the agenda, says INTERCARGO

Dry cargo ship owners stepped up for seafarers as ships around the world honked their horns for International Labour Day on May 1 in support of the #HeroesAtSea social media campaign.

  • News
  • 01 May 2020
International

Unions call for immediate repatriation of US mariners

The Masters, Mates & Pilots union (MM&P) has joined forces with five other US maritime unions, to call on the US government to urgently enable crew changes for American mariners, likening their confinement due to Covid-19 restrictions to 'prison ships'.

  • News
  • 11 June 2020
International

Union members urged to take the ITF crew change survey

Nautilus members are urged to continue to support the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) crew change survey being used to build a case for crew relief for thousands of seafarers.

  • News
  • 02 June 2020