Six Indian seafarers stranded at Karachi port for six months; India seeks consular access

The spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said the matter is between the owner of the ship and the employees on board, and that the seafarers cannot just leave the vessel until a replacement crew arrives. In his words, a replacement crew has to come before they leave. A ship in port normally needs a minimum number of qualified crew on board for safety and for security of the vessel, and port and flag authorities can refuse to let a ship be left unmanned. That means that even a crew that wants to go home cannot do so if no one is there to take over.

The reports describe a dispute between the crew and the owner over employment and crewing, and they do not say what the dispute is about. Such disputes often involve unpaid wages, expired contracts or an owner who does not pay for the replacement crew's travel. None of these has been confirmed in this case, and this article does not assume any of them.

What rights do seafarers have?

Seafarers' working conditions are covered by the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006, an international treaty adopted by the International Labour Organization that sets minimum standards on contracts, wages, hours and repatriation. Under it, shipowners are responsible for repatriating seafarers at the end of their contracts and are expected to carry financial security to cover the cost if they fail to do so. The convention also has rules on abandonment, which is when an owner stops paying wages and supporting the crew. Whether it applies to this case depends on facts that have not been published, such as the ship's flag state and whether it has ratified the convention, and the ministry has not said that the men are abandoned.

India's Directorate General of Shipping runs a grievance mechanism for Indian seafarers, and the ministry and consulates can intervene when crews are in trouble abroad. The usual steps are to contact the owner and the manning agent, ask the port state for access, and arrange a replacement crew or a repatriation.

At the same briefing, the ministry also spoke about another seafarer, Akshay Hareesh from Kerala, who is stranded in Iran. He had joined the merchant ship Plam Marine in Japan in 2025. At Chabahar port, the captain told him his passport and Continuous Discharge Certificate had been lost, and he was disembarked. He has since stayed at Bandar Lengeh, where the vessel's owner has provided accommodation and food. The Indian consulate at Bandar Abbas received his call on 9 November, contacted the owner and agent, and issued him an Emergency Certificate, and the ministry said it is making all efforts to facilitate his early return to India.

What happens next

The next steps depend on Pakistan's response to the consular request and on the shipping company. If access is granted, consular officers can meet the men, check their health and food and water, and press the company to send a replacement crew. If the dispute is about money, the men may have a claim for unpaid wages, which can be pursued through the courts of the country where the ship is registered. The ministry has said it will keep working on the case, and any announcement of the men's release or return would come from it.

Readers who know of seafarers in similar difficulty can contact the Directorate General of Shipping's grievance mechanism or the nearest Indian mission, whose details are on the Ministry of External Affairs website.