The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has sounded the alarm over worsening seafarer abandonment cases tied to vessels involved in illicit oil trading. Central to its concerns is the case of the product tanker GLOBAL PEACE, sanctioned and left anchored near AL HAMRIYAH, UAE, with its crew caught in limbo for more than 15 months, The Maritime Executive reports.
The Global Peace, a 6,191 dwt product tanker built in 2010, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in April 2025 due to its involvement in ship-to-ship transfers and blending operations supporting Iran’s shadow fleet. The ship has remained anchored since roughly February, with 17 Indian seafarers, one Bangladeshi, and one Ukrainian aboard—now well beyond the maximum 11-month abandonment limit set by the Maritime Labour Convention.
To the Maritime Executive, ITF Inspectorate Coordinator Steve Trowsdale called the situation “shocking,” emphasizing that seafarers are becoming unseen victims of illicit oil trade and urging UAE authorities to intervene promptly.
The Global Peace is not an isolated outlier. According to ITF data, at least 2,648 abandonment cases across 259 vessels had been recorded by August 2025, compared with over 3,133 seafarers abandoned in 2024—a staggering 87% year-on-year increase from 2023.
The Middle East has emerged as a particular hotspot, with 32 vessels abandoned in the UAE alone during the first eight months of 2025. Most of these vessels are suspected of involvement in the shadow or dark fleet, circumventing sanctions while exposing crews to prolonged distress.
This wave of abandonment underscores how the exploitation of weak regulatory enforcement and complex ownership structures can endanger those at sea. Sanctioned vessels, often uninsured or operating under obscure flags, are particularly prone to being left adrift without oversight.
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