Seafarer abandonment is an intentional human and labour rights abuse, and is a spiralling, systemic problem. In 2025, ship abandonment figures reached record levels for the sixth year in a row, up 31% on 2024.
A ship is classed as abandoned under international law if a shipowner fails to pay wages for two months or more, fails to repatriate seafarers, or leaves them without the necessary maintenance or support. Wage deprivation, abusive living and working conditions and restriction of movement are all forced labour indicators, and all can be present in these cases. International rules requiring a minimum skeleton crew to remain on board a ship for safety at sea can complicate these cases.
The ITF is the world’s leading organisation working to end seafarer abandonment, filing 98% of all abandonment cases recorded in the ILO/IMO abandonment database in 2025. In 2025 alone, the ITF Inspectorate resolved 163 abandonment cases, recovering USD16.5 million in stolen wages owed to seafarers.
FOC-registered ships dominate the abandonment figures, accounting for 82% of the 2025 total. These flag states routinely fail to enforce international obligations or pursue shipowners who abandon their responsibilities at the first sign of financial trouble.