Why the crew of the Ever Given are still trapped inside the ship that blocked the Suez Canal

It’s been several weeks since the container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, but even though the world has changed after it was deported, the nightmare has only just begun for the 25 Indian citizens who make up its crew.

They are trapped aboard the ship currently moored in an artificial lake along the Suez. They are the unfortunate victims of a legal dispute between the Egyptian authorities and the owners and operators of Ever Given.. Egyptian authorities seized the vessel because the Suez Canal Public Authority demanded the Japanese owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. the sum of $ 916 million in damages.

Since the company chose to fight the lawsuit, it’s unclear when the ship’s crew will be allowed to disembark… They could be detained for years. Expressing concern for the fate of the crew, Abdulgani Serang, head of the National Seafarers Union of India (NUSI), told the Guardian: “They are professionals who have nothing to do with this incident and should not be held hostage ”. .

While it is difficult to conceive of a reality in which members of a ship’s crew are stranded or abandoned on it, the situation is surprisingly common and is often the result of wage disputes, management issues and the disappearance of owners. Indeed, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which maintains a database of these incidents, there were at least 31 cases of abandonment between January and August 2020, in which 470 sailors were involved. Since 2004, the IMO has registered 438 such cases affecting more than 5,700 seafarers.

But a rescue operation that grabbed international headlines for weeks has turned into a bitter legal dispute. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA), having confiscated the vessel, said it would refuse to let its crew leave until the full amount was paid.

UK P&I, the marine insurance company representing the Panamanian-flagged vessel, said: “The SCA did not provide a detailed justification for this extraordinarily large claim, which includes a claim of $ 300 million for a “bailout” and a claim of $ 300 million for “loss of reputation”.

The marine insurance community considers the amount claimed by SCA to be grossly overestimated, as previously indicated by Lloyd’s list. In an op-ed, the maritime publication said: “Behind the scenes, the feeling is that the amount requested is not only ridiculous, but simply outrageous.”

However, this will not give the crew any respite, who can do nothing but wait for an unlikely and swift resolution of the matter. With multiple parties involved, from international corporations to insurance companies to government agencies, the looming legal battle is complex and could last for several years.

“They feel in an awkward position and are naturally anxious to know if they will be able to return home as usual at the end of their contract,” said the statement from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

It is because the 25 sailors of Ever Given face a terrifying history, such as the case of Mohammed Aisha, who spent four years trapped alone on a ship in Egypt.

The Syrian had just joined MV Aman as a first officer in 2017 when he was detained in Adabiya, Egypt, due to the expiration of security equipment and certification. The shipowners were unable to take back the ship and their contractors refused to pay. An Egyptian court ruled that Aisha was the ship’s legal guardian and he signed the order, but was shocked when, a few months later, the rest of the crew began to abandon the ship, as he had to stay. So began a four-year ordeal, during which Aisha ended up being completely alone on the ship.

As he was stuck nearby near the Suez Canal, he was able to talk to his brother, another sailor at times, but was unable to even attend his mother’s funeral when she died in 2018.

After years of defense, he was finally able to get off the ship. How do I feel? As if he was finally out of prison, ”he said.

For unions, the sad reality is that while seafarers are essential to the proper functioning of world trade, their rights are ignored in these areas. “Seafarers are not a priority in conflict,” said Mohamed Arrachedi, ITF coordinator.

Union representatives managed to get on Ever Guiven a few days ago to check on the well-being of its crew. They found that 25 sailors had been trapped, as two had been released on “urgent matters”, as reported by Egyptian authorities.

“First the pandemic and then the crew change crisis changed the lives of seafarers, especially when governments introduced general restrictions on travel and borders. Some sailors were trapped working on the same ships for over a year after their initial contracts, ”Heindel said.

“We must remember that it was the seafarers who moved the world forward during the worst health and economic crises we have faced since Covid. Many of these seafarers would rightly be quite angry if, after all their sacrifice, their profession was unfairly associated with an event clearly beyond their control, ”Heindel added. “It’s time to treat seafarers like key workers with the respect they deserve, and we can start by getting every member of the Ever Given crew to return home at the end of their respective contracts.” , he added.

The Ever Given ran aground in the canal from March 23 to 29 and now, almost a month later, all 24 crew members are still detained. If the legal dispute continues, it could take years for them to regain their freedom.

“Seafarers will get legal and logistical support at local, national and international level in solidarity. They are not alone, ”they conclude from the Indian union.

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