Recently, and in particular during the summer period, the Club has noticed a spike in stowaway cases. This article serves as a refresher on what is already known as well as an update on the practical problems and implications that may arise for Owners in connection with the disembarkation and repatriation of stowaways.
More frequently than not stowaways are not allowed to disembark, the Owner may be requested to arrange for security in the form of guards employed at the port and a fine might be levied upon the vessel, which can be quite substantial. Most countries will only allow a stowaway to be disembarked where proper travel documentation to return home is presented or in cases where there is a strong indication that the stowaway is a minor. Having said this, it is of paramount importance that Members advise their Club as soon as they become aware of the presence of stowaways on board so that all the wheels are put in motion at a very early stage.
At the time of embarkation, the stowaway claimed to be of Central African nationality, although no ID or other official document or cell phone were found in his possession. Throughout his stay on board, which was nearly a month, the stowaway was very uncooperative, constantly changing his claimed nationality, local language and family status. As he was acting in a very aggressive manner towards the crew, the Owners eventually had to lock him in a cabin and request the appointment of specialised security officers who eventually escorted him for the whole duration of his stay on board.
After checking with numerous correspondents around the globe, it later transpired that he was a professional stowaway, who had already tried reaching Europe several times in the past.
In a similar case, two stowaways posing as stevedores boarded a vessel during loading operations in Latin America. Fortunately, they were very cooperative and provided their true personal information for identification purposes, albeit only one of them had a form of ID with him.
