Cruise ship passengers and cargo ship crews alike have faced obstacles to disembarking during the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. The European Commission yesterday published guidelines to protect these individuals, including recommendations on health, repatriation, and travel preparation. They are also urging member states to establish a network of ports where crew changes can be carried out without delay.
Crew changes, designated ports
Seafarers often work away from home for months at a time. Once their contract ends – typically around 100,000 seafarers each month – crew changes take place in port. For many seafarers, the port of arrival or departure is outside their country of residence, and many of them work on ships operating within the EU but are of non-EU nationality.
EU Member States have different rules on crew changes in their ports. To ensure clarity for all those affected, Member States should follow the Commission's guidelines for facilitating transits and the Green Routes Implementation Guidelines. For non-EU nationals who need visas to disembark within the EU and who are unable to apply for them due to the current situation, Member States should grant them at the border so that these individuals can be repatriated quickly.
The guidelines call on Member States, in coordination with the Commission, to designate ports around the European coast for rapid crew changes, with adequate facilities for seafarers to undergo medical check-ups, quarantines if required by the country in question, and transport connections to their country of residence.
The pandemic has already led to the extension of many contracts, potentially with a negative impact on the well-being of seafarers. In all cases, these extensions should take place with the agreement of the individuals affected.
Cruises
Cruise lines must assume full responsibility for repatriating passengers and crew from their ships, including from non-European ports. The Commission calls on member states to help cruise lines identify appropriate ports for disembarkation and to support them in preparing for the disembarkation and repatriation of their passengers and crew. If there are people on board infected with the coronavirus, ships should head to the nearest port with hospitals that have sufficient capacity.
Health recommendations and case reporting
Ships were already required to submit a Maritime Declaration of Health before entering a port. Furthermore, the Commission recommends that ships approaching ports report – four hours before their estimated arrival time – the number of people on board and any confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 infection
The health and safety of seafarers and port workers is of utmost importance. The Commission requests that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) be readily available and used in accordance with existing recommendations, and that seafarers have access to appropriate medical care if needed. If all crew members are healthy and their previous port call was more than two weeks ago, they should not be quarantined upon disembarkation for repatriation.
These guidelines do not cover seafarers on fishing vessels, who are covered by guidance documents affecting the exercise of free movement of workers during the COVID-19 outbreak and border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of essential goods and services.
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