Section 67
Repatriation.
The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
About this Act
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to merchant shipping to ensure compliance with India's obligation under the maritime treaties and international instruments to which India is a party and also to ensure the development of Indian shipping and efficient maintenance of Indian mercantile marine in a manner best suited to serve the national interest and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(1) Seafarers shall have the right to be repatriated at no cost to themselves in such circumstances and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.
(2) Every ship owner of an Indian vessel shall provide such financial security to ensure that seafarers are duly repatriated in such manner as may be prescribed.
(3) When the service of a seafarer is terminated without the consent of the seafarer at a port outside India before the expiration of the period for which the seafarer was engaged, the master, ship owner or his agent shall, in addition to any other related obligation imposed on either of them by this Act, make adequate provision for the maintenance of the seafarer according to his rank or rating, and for the return of that seafarer to a proper return port.
(4) If the master, ship owner or his agent fails to repatriate seafarers, the expenses of maintenance and of the journey to the proper return port shall, if defrayed by the seafarer, be recoverable as wages due to him, and if defrayed by an Indian ambassador, shall constitute a debt due to the Central Government in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) of section 91.
(2) Every ship owner of an Indian vessel shall provide such financial security to ensure that seafarers are duly repatriated in such manner as may be prescribed.
(3) When the service of a seafarer is terminated without the consent of the seafarer at a port outside India before the expiration of the period for which the seafarer was engaged, the master, ship owner or his agent shall, in addition to any other related obligation imposed on either of them by this Act, make adequate provision for the maintenance of the seafarer according to his rank or rating, and for the return of that seafarer to a proper return port.
(4) If the master, ship owner or his agent fails to repatriate seafarers, the expenses of maintenance and of the journey to the proper return port shall, if defrayed by the seafarer, be recoverable as wages due to him, and if defrayed by an Indian ambassador, shall constitute a debt due to the Central Government in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) of section 91.