Blog
ITF Demands UAE Action as 19 Seafarers Remain Stranded on Sanctioned Tanker in Persian Gulf
EXCLUSIVE: ITF Demands UAE Action as 19 Seafarers Remain Stranded on Sanctioned Tanker in Persian Gulf
DUBAI, UAE– The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has issued an urgent appeal to United Arab Emirates maritime authorities to rescue 19 seafarers who have been abandoned aboard a sanctioned oil tanker in the Persian Gulf for over 15 months.
The crew members – comprising 17 Indian nationals, one Bangladeshi, and one Ukrainian – remain trapped aboard the MT Global Peace (IMO 9555199), which is currently anchored off Al Hamriyah in UAE waters.
The vessel is owned by UAE-based Glory International FZ-LLC, which has been under US sanctions since April 2025. According to ITF investigations, the tanker operates with no known flag state registration, creating a legal vacuum that has left the crew in limbo.
“This is a shocking case of abandonment that shines a light on how seafarers can be unseen victims of the illicit oil trade,” declared Steve Trowsdale, ITF Inspectorate Coordinator. “It’s imperative that the UAE’s maritime authorities act now to save these seafarers and put an end to their ordeal.”
The situation has deteriorate significantly, with many seafarers having been aboard for 15 months, well above the 11-month maximum permitted under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Some crew members’ employment contracts expired over five months ago, yet their fundamental right to repatriation continues to be denied.
The ITF has formally filed the abandonment case with the joint International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) abandonment database, citing clear violations of international maritime law under the MLC 2006.
Investigations reveal additional concerning irregularities:
– The vessel reportedly operates without proper insurance coverage
– Seafarers’ contracts reference fictitious ITF collective bargaining agreements
– Crew members are being held under fraudulent employment documentation
The Global Peace case highlights a broader crisis unfolding in UAE waters. ITF data shows the UAE recorded 32 vessel abandonments in the first eight months of 2025 alone, making it second only to Turkey’s 43 cases globally.
This alarming trend positions the UAE as the Middle East’s primary hotspot for seafarer abandonment, despite the country’s ambitious maritime industry expansion plans.
The Global Peace abandonment occurs against the backdrop of what is shaping up to be the worst year on record for seafarer abandonment globally. ITF statistics show 2,648 abandonment cases across 259 vessels have been recorded through August 2025, putting 2025 on track to exceed 2024’s record-breaking figures.
Last year witnessed 3,133 seafarers abandoned across 312 vessels, representing an 87% increase from 2023 – previously the worst year on record.
The ITF’s investigation reveals how sanctioned entities like Glory International exploit vulnerable seafarers in pursuit of illegal profits from the shadow oil trade.
“This case exemplifies the lengths that criminal outfits will go to secure their illegal profits,” Trowsdale emphasized. “With illegitimate companies like this, seafarers are nothing more than expendable assets to be used and abused.”
The ITF is demanding immediate intervention from UAE authorities and calling for broader systemic reforms. Notably, the UAE has yet to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention, despite its growing prominence as a regional maritime hub.
“As it massively expands its maritime industry, the UAE can and must do much more to protect seafarers’ human rights from criminal abuse in its waters,” Trowsdale stated. “If the UAE takes seafarers’ rights seriously, it must ratify the MLC.”
The organization warns that without urgent action, the 19 crew members aboard the Global Peace face an indefinite period of abandonment, with no clear pathway to repatriation or compensation for their extended service.