COPING WITH STOWAWAYS

The number of the stowaways that are detected on board vessels is increasing every year. It shall be noted that not only are the numbers rising, but the stowaways themselves are becoming increasingly desperate once they are caught. Organised criminal gangs are often involved, and are becoming more and more sophisticated in their methods.

At the same time, port and immigration authorities are becoming far tougher, with many countries refusing to accept stowaways, even when all the arrangements for repatriation are in place, and the stowaway is co-operative. This combination of factors and trends means that finding stowaways on board your vessel will not just be inconvenient - it will be time consuming, expensive, and can also be dangerous. The best solution is always to stop stowaways getting on board: Prevention is better than cure. This training package is aimed at all officers and crew, helping to raise awareness of the growing problem of stowaways.

After using the workbook and video, you will be able to understand the nature and scale of the problems that stowaways can cause for crew and owners, help devise and work through clear procedures for preventing stowaways from boarding your ship, search common hiding places using effective search strategies, manage stowaways effectively from their discovery to their disembarkation, and understand the basic legal and ethical requirements for the treatment of stowaways. This booklet is perfectly supplemented with this training video film.