Ten Syrian seafarers are stuck on board the general cargo ship Militsa in the port of Constanța, Romania. The crew say the owner left the ship and its crew there in August 2026. Two of the seafarers have serious health problems and want to go home quickly.
The Romanian seafarers' union SLN (Sindicatul Liber al Navigatorilor) and ITF Romania gave the details on 27 October 2026. The ITF is the International Transport Workers' Federation, a global union for transport workers.
What happened
The crew have had no wages since April 2026, the union says. That is about six months without pay.
The ship flew the flag of Togo, according to the union. The flag was later taken away because the owner did not meet the registration rules. The ship also has no local agent now. An agent is the company that helps a ship with port work and papers.
Companies that say the owner owes them money took the case to court. On 28 July 2026, the Constanța court ordered the ship to stay in port. This was at the request of Allah Kareem Shipping Ltd, in a case against the owner, Solomarine Corp Ltd. A second company, Moulky Ltd, later opened another case. The court also put the ship under arrest for the unpaid debts.
Some money is coming, but the crew are still waiting
ITF Romania used the ship's insurance for abandoned crews. This insurance is held with the ship's P&I club, a shipowners' insurance group. The union says it will pay four months of the unpaid wages and the crew's trip home.
The rest of the wages must be won in court. The money would come from the sale of the ship. This can take a long time.
The master and the ITF have asked the port authority and the Romanian Naval Authority for help. They want the ship taken out of service and kept safe in port with fewer people on board. They also want the crew sent home, with the two sick seafarers first.
The seafarers' names have not been published. There is no date yet for their trip home.
What crews should know about abandonment
Under the MLC, the Maritime Labour Convention, a crew is abandoned when the owner stops paying wages for two months or more. It also counts when the owner does not pay for the trip home, or stops giving food, water, fuel and medical care.
Every ship under the MLC must have insurance for this case. It pays up to four months of unpaid wages and other money owed under the contract. It also pays for the trip home, and for food, water and medical care until you get home.
Keep copies of your contract, pay slips and bank records. Keep them on your phone and on paper.
Write down the dates when wages stopped. Note every promise the owner or manager makes.
Ask the master for the insurance certificate for abandonment. Every MLC ship must show it on board.
Contact the ITF or your union early. Do not wait until food or fuel runs out.
You can check known cases on the ITF abandonment list and read the ILO guidelines on abandonment.
Cover photo: Cargo cranes and a ship in the port of Constanța, Romania, behind the harbour breakwater, May 2012. Illustrative photo. Photo: Sîmbotin/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
Sources: Replica Online, 27 Oct 2026: Nava Militsa a fost lăsată de izbeliște în Portul Constanța (statement of the SLN union and ITF Romania), FocusPress, 27 Oct 2026: Zece navigatori sirieni, abandonați în Portul Constanța, Dobrogea Online, 28 Oct 2026: Zece marinari sirieni, abandonați în Portul Constanța, Ziua de Constanța, 29 Jul 2026: Constanța court orders the ship Militsa held in port, Ziua de Constanța: Militsa under arrest in Constanța, new case by Moulky Ltd against Solomarine Corp Ltd, ILO: Guidelines on how to deal with seafarer abandonment cases.
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