24 November 2021

The movement of an internationally displaced community of I-Kiribati seafarers has been expedited by recent travel arrangements, but full repatriation remains tentative for many.

This week, 142 seafarers departed Fiji onboard MV REEF ENDEAVOUR, a small cruise vessel bound for Kiribati, after months languishing in the city of Nadi without receiving basic living wages.

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Meanwhile, travel has been arranged for 39 I-Kiribati seafarers stranded in Brisbane, Australia, though their departure does not currently equate to full repatriation.

HRAS understands that the shipping companies which employ Kiribati’s maritime workforce have secured a flight from Australia to Fiji, expected to depart Brisbane on 2 December 2021.

According to Danish shipping line Maersk, the companies had favoured direct repatriation by plane, but the Kiribati government’s reluctance to facilitate the seafarers’ return resulted in a decision to transfer the crewmembers to Fiji instead.

Although the intention is for the seafarers to remain in Fiji as they await further repatriation, Kiribati’s ongoing border closures and a pattern of delays render the arrangement indefinite.

The transition is therefore a source of concern for the seafarers, who fear they will lose access to basic living wages, which they continue to receive while in Australia.

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