Indian Ports Very Crew-UNfriendly!

Shore leave challenges in Indian ports have been a longstanding issue that has affected the well-being and morale of Indian seafarers; so much so that Indian ports have earned the sobriquet of ‘Crew-UNFriendly’.
Here are some of the key challenges faced by Indian seafarers when it comes to shore leave in Indian ports:
Overly Stringent Regulations: Indian ports often have overly stringent regulations and security protocols in place, which can significantly limit or restrict crew shore leave. These regulations are primarily aimed at preventing unauthorized access to port facilities and ensuring the safety and security of both the port and the vessels. However, these regulations can be excessively strict, making it difficult for crew members to go ashore and engage in recreational activities during their limited off-duty hours.
Delays & Time Constraints: Even when shore leave is allowed, crew members may face delays and time constraints due to the operational priorities of the port. Ports in India are often busy, congested, and disorganised, leading to limited time available for port officials to carry out their duties efficiently. This results in crew shore leave ending up de-prioritized.
In many cases, crew members are permitted in only very small numbers and only a few hours ashore, often being disallowed leave at night, which significantly limits their ability to fully enjoy and experience the destination.
Immigration Issues: Crew members face additional challenges related to immigration requirements when it comes to shore leave in Indian ports. Crew members require specific permits to disembark, which can be a complex and time-consuming, often paper-based, physical process. Such intricate processes can make it logistically difficult for crew members to obtain the necessary documents within the increasingly limited time they have in port.
Most Indian ports also require a visit by Immigration officers to the ship, which in itself is a huge barrier, especially during non-office hours. Ships on the other hand, as we all know, arrive and depart 24 hours a day, making it very hard to match the ship arrivals & departures with onboard visits of Immigration Officials to physically sight crew travel documents.
Concerns for Port Security: Indian ports have raised concerns about security risks associated with granting shore leave to crew members. There have been instances in the past where crew members have gone missing or have attempted illegal acts. To mitigate such risks, port authorities have had to tighten security measures, which, in turn, has severely restricted shore leave for the bonafide law-observing Indian crewmembers too.
Delays in Executing Orders: Most pandemic restrictions have been revoked. However Port Health authorities in Indian ports often cite non-receipt of orders for lifting bans on crew shore leave, or simply ignore the orders for reasons best known to them. Arbitrariness and misuse of administrative powers also do fuel such unreasonable behaviour.

Overburdened Police Officials: At many minor and industrial ports along the Indian coastline, duties of Immigration Officers for reasons of economy and practicality are carried out by local Police. The Police understandably have little interest in ship’s crew or their shore leave, and cite priority over crew interests of their own duties to fight and prevent crime.
One of the more serious fallouts of this plethora of restrictions however is that they have all led to corruption at various levels. Money exchanges hands to either speed up the shore leave clearance process, or to get any shore leave at all. Consequently, the good reputation of port officials, immigration officers, port health officers, ship’s agents, local governments and the whole Indian nation itself stands besmirched.
Are the authorities listening?
-Marex Media

The Author
Kamal Chadha photo and details take from last article