Elbeik
2 seafarers abandoned on the Elbeik (IMO 6718427, flag Togo) in Tarragona, Spain, 18 October 2021. ILO case 585, status: Resolved.
- Status
- Resolved
- Abandonment ID
- 585
- IMO Number
- 6718427
- Flag
- Togo
- Port of Abandonment
- Tarragona, Spain
- Abandonment Date
- 18 October 2021
- Notification Date
- 29 October 2021
- Seafarers
- 2
- Reporting Org.
- International Transport Workers' Federation
Circumstances
Fire incident on board caused for vessel to be laid up in the port of Tarragona. Received an initial claim for owed wages and compensation and all crew were paid and repatriated except for 9 which were required for the safety of the ship (3 shifts of 3) by Harbor Master. A further 7 were repatriated and two were left. I was notified on the 18th that these 2 seafarers were sleeping at the pier.
Updates
30 November 2021: International Transport Workers' Federation
Both seafarers that were pending repatriation were repatriated with the OK from port authorities and immigration via another ship from the company (Nabolsi I – 7128760), the ETA to Lebanon was the 17th November 2021 but as per AIS they are still on their way. From there, they would be transferred by car to their home in Syria. Resolved.
29 October 2021: International Transport Workers' Federation
The fire and the language barrier make this case especially difficult to handle. Seafarers only speak Arabic, and all of their documents were burnt. Though their salaries were paid according to the Receipt & Release form provided by the shipowner when requested, it is close to impossible to verify this. Seafarers seemed scared to denounce anything that jeopardized their repatriation and simply repeated what the shipowner was saying. They even stated that they were fine with sleeping at the port and even declined the offer to go to a hotel, although it was achieved in a later stage when police informed them that they could not sleep there. Their age also made them especially vulnerable, they were 21 and 22 respectively, employed as “deck boys”.