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Find the right help, starting with urgent help
Crew Rights Compass is an educational website. Our inbox is not an emergency service and cannot give legal advice about your situation.
In an emergency
- On board: for immediate danger, a serious injury or an urgent medical need, follow the ship's emergency procedures and alert the medical team, the officer on watch or the master.
- Ashore: contact the local emergency services for the country you are in.
- Do not wait for an email reply, from us or anyone else, when you need urgent care or are in danger.
Official support organisations
These organisations offer different kinds of help. They do not all provide the same services, they do not operate everywhere, and none of them endorses this website. Check each organisation's own site for current contact details and languages.
Welfare helpline
ISWAN SeafarerHelp
SeafarerHelp describes itself as a free, confidential, multilingual helpline for seafarers and their families, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its website lists live chat, WhatsApp and email routes, and a directory of port welfare services.
Useful for: Emotional, wellbeing and practical support; finding port welfare services; families who need someone to talk to.
Keep in mind: It is a welfare service, not a law firm or an emergency rescue service.
iswan.org.uk · link checked 20 October 2026
Union federation support
ITF Seafarers: support and inspectors
The International Transport Workers' Federation's seafarer site explains how to contact an ITF inspector or its seafarer support team if you are on board or in port and have a problem. Its look-up tools help find the nearest inspector.
Useful for: Problems on board or in port, such as unpaid wages or conditions, especially where an inspector may be able to assist.
Keep in mind: Inspectors and contacts are not present in every port or country, and what they can do depends on the situation.
itfseafarers.org · link checked 20 October 2026
Starting point for finding a lawyer
Seafarers' Rights International: networking lawyers
Seafarers' Rights International publishes a network of lawyers with an interest in seafarers' rights in different countries.
Useful for: Finding a lawyer to contact about a personal legal question.
Keep in mind: A listing is not a recommendation. Check a lawyer's registration, experience and fees yourself. Legal aid is not guaranteed.
Visit Seafarers' Rights International
seafarersrights.org · link checked 20 October 2026
Official reference
International Labour Organization: Maritime Labour Convention
The ILO's official pages for the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), including the consolidated text and related resources.
Useful for: Reading the international standards that many national laws and seafarer employment agreements build on.
Keep in mind: The ILO does not handle individual complaints from seafarers. How the MLC applies depends on the flag state, national law and the vessel.
Visit International Labour Organization
ilo.org · link checked 20 October 2026
Other routes that may apply
- The ship's onboard complaint procedure, which the MLC framework expects ships to have.
- A union you belong to, or the union that is party to a collective agreement covering you.
- The flag state's maritime authority, or port state control in the port where the ship is.
- A national labour or migrant-worker authority in your home country, especially for recruitment issues.
Which route is right depends on your situation. Using one route does not necessarily stop legal time limits running; ask an adviser about deadlines early.
Preparing for a conversation
Write down what happened in date order, the documents you hold and the questions you want answered. You do not need a perfect file before asking for help.
Contacting Crew Rights Compass
Our inbox, ezekiel@theshipdoctor.com, is for website, product and business enquiries. We cannot review cases or give legal or medical advice. Please do not send passports, medical records or dispute documents.