Nautilus FAQ: guidance for members on the situation in the Middle East

Are seafarers currently operating in a conflict or warlike environment in the Middle East?

The Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters has been designated as a High Risk Area by the International Bargaining Forum.

This means that if you are working on a vessel trading in, or being asked to transit, the Strait of Hormuz or surrounding waters:

• You have the right to refuse to sail into the designated High-Risk Area, under IBF conditions, without penalty
• shipowners must carry out enhanced risk assessments before any transit
• you must be given clear and timely information about security risks
• all contractual, insurance and safety protections must be fully in place
• shipowners are required to engage with crews and their representatives on voyage planning and risk mitigation

The security situation in the region is rapidly evolving. The ITF and JNG have confirmed that conditions are under continuous review, including consideration of whether the area should be upgraded further, which would trigger additional protections.

Seafarers are civilian workers and must not be exposed to military risk or placed in danger as a result of geopolitical conflict.

The UK Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC), consisting of Nautilus International, the RMT union and the UK Chamber of Shipping, will be meeting to establish recommendations for ships.

What practical protections exist while ships are operating in the region, following the designation of the Strait of Hormuz as a High Risk Area by the IBF?

Seafarers should expect:

• compliance with UKMTO & IMB voluntary reporting and incident response procedures
• access to emergency communication and guidance via UKMTO and naval coordination mechanisms
• measures to mitigate electronic interference and navigational disruption, as highlighted in current UKMTO advisories
• compliance and adherence to any industry guidance including the latest edition of Best Management Practices – Maritime Security

Nautilus members should:

• not feel pressured to accept instructions that place you at unacceptable risk
• contact Nautilus immediately if you are concerned, unsure of your rights, or facing pressure to transit the area
• keep records of communications from your employer regarding voyage instructions and risk assessments

Do seafarers have the right to refuse to sail into Warlike/High Risk areas?

Yes, when they are declared Warlike or High Risk. Under the International Labour Organization (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), seafarers have an unqualified right to repatriation if a vessel is bound for a ‘war zone to which the seafarer does not consent’. 

There is no provision in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) allowing this right to be suspended due to commercial pressure or operational necessity.

Trade unions, including Nautilus International, have explicitly reaffirmed that seafarers must not be compelled to enter Warlike or High Risk areas and must be able to refuse without fear of penalty.

What if my vessel is already in the conflict or High Risk zone?

The right to safety and repatriation does not disappear once a vessel has entered a designated area. Where hostilities escalate, routes change, or new military activity emerges:

• seafarers may withdraw consent to continue the voyage if the situation materially changes or becomes more dangerous
• the shipowner remains responsible for safe disembarkation and repatriation as soon as practicable, taking account of port access, crew safety, and international restrictions
• Seafarers must continue to receive wages and contractual benefits until repatriation is completed

Being “already onboard” or “already in the region” does not negate MLC protections. Consent must be ongoing and informed, not assumed.

What are my rights if I refuse to continue sailing in a High Risk or Warlike area?

If a refusal is based on genuine safety concerns linked to conflict or war risk:

• the seafarer must not face disciplinary action, dismissal, or loss of wages
• the shipowner is responsible for repatriation at no cost to the seafarer
• contractual clauses cannot lawfully override these protections where the MLC applies

These principles are reinforced by union guidance and the MLC; however, the designation of a Warlike Operations Area or High Risk area requires these rights to be assured.

Are these areas formally designated as Warlike Operations areas?

Insurers and maritime security bodies are moving to classify much of the region as war-risk or high-risk.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and its affiliates including Nautilus International, are seeking urgent meetings on formal recognition of the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and adjacent waters as Warlike Operations Areas (WOAs), which would automatically trigger enhanced pay, insurance and protections under many collective agreements.

Regardless of formal designation, MLC rights apply whenever a voyage involves war zone risks.

Are seafarers entitled to additional pay if they do sail?

Often, yes. Where vessels enter areas designated as High Risk or Warlike under collective bargaining agreements:

• seafarers may be entitled to risk or danger pay, sometimes at enhanced or double rates
• additional compensation may apply for injury, disability or death

These entitlements depend on the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which may refer to a national agreement between unions and shipowners, or one agreed internationally dependent on the terms of the specific CBA. Nautilus will always prioritise seafarer safety and choice over financial considerations when entering negotiations with shipowners regarding Warlike or High Risk areas.

What information must shipowners provide to crews before and during operations in the region?

Shipowners and masters must ensure seafarers are fully and promptly informed of:

• known and emerging security risks and recent incidents
• changes to routing, ports of call, insurance status, or operational instructions
• any airspace closures, flight suspensions, or restrictions that may affect crew changes or emergency evacuation
• available support, including the right to refuse a voyage, pause a voyage, or request repatriation

Failure to provide accurate and updated risk information may itself breach MLC obligations.

How do airspace closures affect seafarers’ repatriation rights?

Widespread or sudden airspace closures across the Middle East have a direct impact on crew changes and repatriation. Importantly, airspace restrictions do not suspend the right to repatriation.

If immediate repatriation is not possible, or is disrupted due to flight cancellations, flight bans or airport closures, shipowners must:

• keep seafarers safe, accommodated and paid until travel becomes possible
• meet reasonable personal travel and subsistence costs, accommodation and necessary medical costs
• actively seek alternative routing, ports, or modes of transport

Extended confinement onboard due to airspace closures may raise fatigue, mental health and welfare concerns, which shipowners are obliged to address.

Seafarers should not be pressured to remain onboard indefinitely because air travel is difficult or costly.

Repatriation rights remain active until seafarers reach their final agreed repatriation destination.

What rights do seafarers have regarding crew welfare during conflict?

Armed conflict and heightened security risk place exceptional physical and psychological strain on seafarers. Shipowners’ welfare obligations increase rather than diminish in such circumstances.

Under the MLC and related guidance, seafarers are entitled to:

• • safe living and working conditions, including enhanced watchkeeping arrangements and reasonable adjustments to duties where risk levels are high
• fatigue management, including adequate rest hours and relief where prolonged tension, rerouting, or extended voyages undermine fitness for duty
• mental health and welfare support, recognising anxiety, stress, and trauma associated with operating under threat of attack
• regular communication with families where possible, particularly during periods of heightened danger or extended deployment
• access to medical care, including mental health support, on the same basis as physical injury

Crew welfare must not be subordinated to commercial pressures. Failure to address fatigue, stress, or welfare concerns may itself constitute a breach of safety and labour obligations.

What practical protections exist while ships are operating in the region?

Seafarers should expect:

• Compliance with UKMTO & IMB voluntary reporting and incident response procedures
• access to emergency communication and guidance via UKMTO and naval coordination mechanisms
• measures to mitigate electronic interference and navigational disruption, as highlighted in current UKMTO advisories
• compliance and adherence to any industry guidance including the latest edition of Best Management Practices – Maritime Security

What if a vessel is attacked, damaged, or detained?

International humanitarian law applicable at sea requires parties to armed conflict to protect civilians, including seafarers, and to respect neutral shipping. Seafarers retain rights to:

• medical care and support
• continued payment of wages
• repatriation once it is safe and practicable, even if a vessel is damaged, delayed or detained

What support can seafarers seek if their rights are not respected?

Seafarers may:

• raise concerns onboard through the MLC onboard complaints procedure
• contact their union (for example Nautilus International or ITF-affiliated unions)
• seek assistance from flag state or port state authorities under the MLC enforcement regime

Serious or repeated breaches may result in detention of the vessel by port state control.

What is the core principle seafarers should remember right now?

As Nautilus International has stated, seafarers are not expendable. They must not be treated as collateral damage in geopolitical conflict.

Safety, informed consent, ongoing consent, crew welfare, and the right to repatriation are fundamental and legally protected, even amid intense regional military escalation.