7 Pinoy seafarers repatriated from Libya to get DOLE assistance; Ship crew stranded off UAE coast in legal dispute lose hope for return; Family of Abandoned Seafarer Talk of Consequences

7 seafarers repatriated from Libya to get DOLE assistance
Analou De Vera March 13, 2019 https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/03/13/7-seafarers-repatriated-from-libya-to-...

The seven Filipino seafarers who had been acquitted of fuel smuggling in Libya will receive financial and livelihood assistance from the government, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the assistance to be given to the seafarers is part of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) reintegration program.

“The reintegration program of the government– OWWA will give them financial assistance. Then, we can extend to them yung livelihood assistance, tapos lahat ng mga anak nila will be covered by scholarship–educational scholarship up to college,” said the labor chief. [The reintegration program of the government– OWWA will give them financial assistance. Then, we can extend to them the livelihood assistance, then all of their children will be covered by scholarship—educational scholarship up to college.]

The seven seafarers arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Tuesday evening onboard Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. They were welcomed by government officials and their families.

The seafarers had been detained in Libya since 2017 after being sentenced to four years in prison for an alleged attempt to smuggle 16 million liters of fuel.

“It is something…because they are acquitted. They are not responsible for any crime so, they can go again in the future to any country in the world because they are innocent,” said Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Abdulla Mama-o.

Mama-o thanked the Libyan government forn the “speedy disposition of this case and the ultimate release of our brothers who had been there for quite a time.”

“Our government definitely, under this administration, did not abandon them in the course of their fight for justice,” said Mama-o.

Ship crew stranded off UAE coast in legal dispute lose hope for return
13/03/2019 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ship-crew-stranded-off-uae-coast-in...

Families of seafarers stranded at sea on abandoned vessels anchored off the UAE coast are losing hope that their legal cases will be resolved and the men can soon return home.

Crew on board three ships, owned by the same company, had hoped to be rescued by early February but poor weather and legal deadlock has delayed their recovery.

Financial difficulties and legal dispute has locked one of those vessels, the MV Azraqmoiah container ship, into an anchorage about 50km off Hamriya Port, Sharjah. And as the crew are without travel documents, they are unable to come ashore.

It has been almost three years since its captain, Ayyappan Swaminathan saw his wife and 8-year-old daughter, who live in Tamil Nadu.

The first day at school, and losing her baby teeth are just some of the moments missed by Captain Ayyappan in the life of young Aniha.

“I miss my wife and daughter from the bottom of my heart,” said the Indian national.

“I feel guilty not being able to pay for her school fees, as I have not been paid for 19 months.

“Last night I called Aniha and she started crying, asking when I will be home.

“Her friends ask why her grandfather goes to see her school events, rather than me.

“It is very difficult for everyone.”

An unpaid $144,000 (Dh529,000) bill for a fuel supplier is understood to be at the centre of the dispute

No cargo was on board the MV Azraqmoiah when it was detained by the UAE coastguard in April 2018, and all crew documents seized.

It is one of three vessels owned by Elite Marine Way Services that is locked in a similar predicament, with more than 30 seafarers affected.

“I am very worried about my husband’s condition,” said Menaga, Capt Ayyaappa’s wife.

“Without his salary, we are all struggling. I have had to depend on others, but how long can they help us for?

“We have been told the Federal Transport Authority has filed a case against the company, but court proceedings will take a long time.

“Rent and school fees need to be paid, and we have other expenses just to survive.

“Our town has been badly affected by cyclone Gaja, so our situation has become a lot worse.”

It is a month since legal officials and FTA representatives met the crew on board to take statements, and reassure the men they would soon be ashore.

Rough weather has played a role in delays, but the crew remain on-board, desperately awaiting news of their rescue.

As the days and weeks drag on, with limited supplies and power on board, family of the stranded crew are clinging on to the faint hope their loved ones will be repatriated before summer.

Until then, Capt Ayyappan eagerly awaits any scrap of information on their case.

Poor hygiene and bed bugs are becoming a regular problem in the crapped living conditions.

“We are burning wood to cook food on board,” said shipmate Aniket Deulkar.

“We have to keep our vessel in a blackout at night due to power shortages. Because of this, last month we had a collision with another vessel.

“For our families, the financial conditions are getting critical as the days are passing.”

Sourabh Naskar has been on-board for 18 months, without pay since December, 2017.

“We haven’t got enough food and water, no blankets, pillows or toothpaste,” he said.

“Our company has never done any type of fumigation, so our cabins are full of bed bugs.

“It is almost impossible to sleep.

“I can’t take this situation any more. I’m feeling sick, mentally and physically.”

Stricter regulations on vessels entering UAE waters without comprehensive crew insurance to protect salaries are in the pipeline, although the FTA is yet to confirm details of when they may be ratified.

Collectively, the MV Azraqmoiah crew is owed more than $250,000 in unpaid salaries.

Maritime law prevents the crew from abandoning the vessel, as an unmanned ship would pose a collision risk to other boats in a busy shipping lane, particularly at night.

Briton David Hammond, a former lawyer and founder of Human Rights at Sea, became involved in legal aid for seafarers in 2013, and says change in maritime law is urgently required.

“There are very few maritime human rights for seafarers on a global platform,” he said.

“What the UAE is doing with proposing new national and insurance legislation and better coastguard training is potentially a game changer.”

The charity has 244 missing seafarers registered on its website by family members. They are mostly fisherman, with the most recent logged on February 6 this year.

“There is a lack of knowledge, and lack of registering of abandoned vessels,” said Mr Hammond.

“Because of a historical lack of acceptance to address these issues, it has created a global problem.”
Source: The National

Family of Abandoned Seafarer Talk of Consequences
2019-03-11 https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/family-of-abandoned-seafarer-...

Human Rights at Sea has published the first of a series of case studies on the families of Indian seafarers still abandoned, some reportedly for over 33 months, offshore the UAE.

With a headline of Abandonment. A Pattern of Human Rights Abuse, the latest publication aims to reinforce public awareness of the consequences to those who suffer, including the family members left behind.

The charity’s investigative team met with Mr. Prabakaran in Mumbai, the brother in law of Captain Ayyappan Swaminathan, Master of the MV Azraqmoiah for the last 25 months, who gave personal statements on behalf of the family to Human Rights at Sea.

Prabakaran said: “It is a nightmare and mental harassment for him and his crew.” Family support is ongoing, but there are limits for everyone, he says. “We are however continuing to support as it is our moral responsibility to the family. Even his mother of 65 years has helped out with her savings.”

The testimony, which has been corroborated and authorized by Swaminathan, highlights the battle to stay mentally strong for his crew and family, while leading his team and co-ordinating other crews in the surrounding abandoned vessels.

His wife has simply stated: “I just want him home. I want his safety, and I want him back”.

The emotional and financial strain on the family and extended family underscores the dire consequences for seafarers when they are left to fend for themselves while left out at sea. There is a lack of scrutiny of vessel conditions and a lack of readily available welfare and legal support through normal face-to-face contact.

At the time of writing, the vessels first highlighted by Human Rights at Sea in December 2018 remain abandoned offshore the UAE with no vessel arrest yet, nor apparent expedited route to crew wage recovery. In the meantime, the U.K.-based welfare organization ISWAN has arranged for emergency payments to be made to all the crew’s families through local union support. These are expected shortly.

Founder of Human Rights at Sea, David Hammond, said: “To address the issue of the direct availability of outstanding wage payments for abandoned crew, it is time that the shipping industry and flag state registries seriously consider a single centralized global fund for seafarer’s welfare payments to alleviate financial suffering and the consequences we are seeing and have witnessed first hand with families here in India.”

The full testimony is available here (https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HRAS_Indian_...)