The Government of India has blacklisted two companies from United Arab Emirates (UAE) for seafarer abandonment.
The companies in question are shipping and management firm Shah Al Arab Marine Agency and M/S Alco Shipping Services LLC, the Directorate General of Shipping said in a circular on Monday.
The decision was prompted after Indian seafarers were left stranded in Dubai for 22 months on board eight ships.
These include oil tankers Enjaz 1 and 2, MT Dharma, M.T. Ocean Prestige, Ocean Grace, general cargo vessel Ajwa, production testing vessel Sharjah Moon, and M.V. Azab.
The directorate said that seafarers were unpaid for months and had not been repatriated after the completion of their contracts. However, despite these issues being public, the companies in question continue to recruit Indian seafarers and several recruitment agencies have been found to have deployed seafarers to these vessels.
“Since the above-listed companies/recruiting agents have been found to be habitual defaulters in terms of payment of seafarers wages and basic provisions, it has been decided to blacklist them,” the circular reads.
As a result, the recruitment and placement agencies who have recruited and placed Indian seafarers on board the above-said vessels were ordered to immediately withdraw Indian seafarers and repatriate them. The government also warned that future recruiting should not be conducted for the said ships and companies.
“The immigration authorities are also requested not to give immigration clearance to the seafarers for boarding above said vessels,” the directorate further stated.
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