Stowaways

As we all know, the P&I club will cover expenses incurred by a shipowner in discharging obligations towards, or making necessary arrangements for, stowaways or refugees to the extent that the owner is legally liable for the expenses or they are incurred with the approval and agreement incurred with the approval and agreement of the P&I club’s managers.

These expenses would include the cost of food, clothing, detention expenses, hotel accommodation, repatriation, guards when necessary, and the cost of obtaining temporary travel documents.

Most of the stowaways arriving at Egyptian ports are Romanians, Bulgarians, Central Africans and Philippino nationals.

Officially due to National Security reasons, the Egyptian Authorities dislike to repatriate stowaways. However there are exceptions where the stowaways are dieing, sick, mad, or have a fatal disease which may affect the crew. These exceptions would have to be proved by documents such as the Master’s Report, crew list, stowaway’s passport. Letter from his country’s embassy.

The documents required to obtain travel documentation would be Master’s Report, Immigration Interrogations, Lesser passez issued by both Embassy / Authorities, stowaway’s photographs. The costs and time involved would vary from case to case.

In most cases the Egyptian Government doesn’t want the responsibility for a stowaways. While the vessel is in port the Master would be held responsible for the stowaway’s safety. The stowaway must not leave his cabin. The Master and the agents must notify the authorities of the stowaway or they will be held responsible if he escapes.

A vessel arriving at a port in Egypt will not have penalties imposed on it provided the proper steps are taken before the Immigration Authorities. If say the stowaway was hiding behind a raft so the Master did not know he was there, and then jumps overboard and is caught, what will happen would depend on the stowaway’s statement.

In Egyptian ports the vessel must pay for guards or the Master must give an undertaking for the stowaway’s custody.