Australian unions warn some foreign seafarers forced to stay on board with no prospect of returning home

Covid-19 travel restrictions compounding crisis among ‘exhausted and traumatised’ foreign shipping crews

Australia’s maritime regulator has been inundated with complaints about shipping crews being forced to stay on board for months on end without any prospect of returning home – a problem complicated by Covid-19 travel restrictions.

In the latest such case, Australian authorities detained a Hong-Kong flagged bulk carrier in Newcastle over claims of serious breaches of the international convention that protects the working and living conditions of seafarers. Four other vessels have also been detained over the past month over related issues.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XzafzT