Migrante Netherlands expresses our deepest condolences and solidarity with the family and fellow crewmates of the Filipino seafarer who tragically died in a hospital after being injured when the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship MV Minervagracht came under attack while transiting one of the world’s most dangerous maritime zones. The vessel is operated by Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor B.V., one of the Netherlands’ largest shipping companies. This tragic loss of life underscores the urgent need for accountability and stronger protections for seafarers who face life-threatening risks while working at sea.
We demand full accountability from Spliethoff, whose responsibility it is to ensure the safety, well-being, and rights of its crew. It is unacceptable that the seafarers aboard the Minervagracht were placed in grave danger without consultation or the opportunity to exercise their fundamental “right to refuse to sail” which is an egregious breach of safety protocols and workers’ rights.
This tragic death highlights the vulnerability of migrant seafarers, especially Filipinos, who make up roughly a quarter of the global maritime workforce. They are the backbone of international trade, yet continue to face isolation, job insecurity, unsafe working conditions, and potential harassment at sea. In 2024, 273 Filipino seafarers were officially recorded as abandoned, making them the fourth most abandoned nationality worldwide. For the past five years, Filipino seafarers have consistently ranked among the top five most abandoned nationalities.
Under the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), a seafarer is considered abandoned when shipowners fail to cover repatriation costs, withhold wages for at least two months, or sever communication with the crew. These conditions, though illegal, remain widespread, exposing how shipowners and governments alike continue to fail those who keep global commerce afloat. The case of the Minervagracht crew is not an isolated tragedy, it is part of a broader pattern of disregard for seafarers’ rights and safety.
While Spliethoff must be held directly responsible for the conditions aboard their vessel, Migrante Netherlands also holds the Philippine government accountable for sustaining a labor export policy that pushes Filipinos into dangerous and precarious jobs abroad. For decades, this policy has been used as an economic lifeline, sending millions of Filipinos overseas instead of ensuring decent, secure work at home. As a result, Filipino seafarers and other migrant workers are left vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and even death far from their families and homeland.
Migrante Netherlands joins seafarers’ unions, labor advocates, and the global Filipino community in demanding justice for the fallen crew member aboard the MV Minervagracht. We call for the full accountability of Spliethoff for failing to protect its crew, and the upholding of seafarers’ right to refuse unsafe voyages without fear of retaliation or job loss. Above all, we demand that the Philippine government end its exploitative labor export program and build an economy that provides decent, dignified employment for Filipinos at home.##
