Are your vessels and crew prepared to deal with migrants at sea?

Conflicts across Africa and the Middle East have displaced thousands of people and the safety offered by the European Union (EU) has made it their destination of choice. In Asia, the situation is also deteriorating as people flee persecution or seek work abroad. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are all struggling to cope with the huge number of immigrants.

Tens of thousands of people are trafficked into Europe from North Africa each year and the threat posed is threefold. Commercial shipping faces a significant commercial loss and many ships are not properly equipped or resourced to deal with rescued migrants. An influx of people aboard a commercial ship delivers additional risks; from security of the vessel, cargo and crew, to the employment of functional sanitation and medical facilities to prevent spread of infection and disease.

With the migrant crises showing no sign of ending anytime soon, commercial shipping companies and their vessels are taking the brunt. Under SOLAS Regulation 33, Masters are obliged to respond to distress messages from any source. Ships can also be requisitioned by the master of a ship in distress or by the search and rescue authorities.

Commercial shipping companies can better prepare for the challenges posed by the migrant crises by taking the following steps:

Make sure the vessel has a pre-planned holding area in which to secure any migrants brought aboard.
Have crew thoroughly search all parties brought aboard, some may be carrying weapons.
Tag and record all individuals and ensure that the vessel has enough food and water. A medical professional should also be on board in order to administer first aid if required.
Ensure that all migrants are escorted and supervised at all times. Restricting movement around the vessel is also advised.

Protection Vessels International (PVI) can assist you with all of these issues and get your vessels prepared to deal with a migrant situation if it should arise.

PVI can provide unarmed Bridge Advisors, as well as crew training and assisted vessel preparation including:

• Expert security advice throughout
• Access control
• Personnel search
• Personnel processing
• Dynamic risk assessment
• Conflict management
• Advanced medical support

Source: Protection Vessels International