Research Briefing by SSI/ IHRB “Seafarers and Recruitment Fees”

Recently the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) published a report about “Seafarers and Recruitment Fees”, based on a survey that was conducted by TURTLE and designed by TURTLE in conjunction with the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN).

The survey, which collected responses from nearly 5,000 seafarers between September 2022 and February 2023, found that 70% of those who experienced workers' rights violations were either victims of illegal recruitment fees or received fake job offers after making advance payments. Furthermore, 71% of those affected by these illicit practices did not report their experiences, primarily due to a lack of knowledge about where to report such incidents.