This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
Kenya has finally opened up to seafarers' crew change at the Port of Mombasa, a move that comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced maritime states to close their borders, leaving thousands of sailors stranded aboard ships in the high-seas for months.
Published on July 19, 2020, Kenya's decision to accept seafarers' crew change is a significant step forward in the efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the shipping industry.
According to reports, Kenya joins 13 countries that have agreed to the new international measures to open up borders for seafarers and to increase the number of commercial flights to expedite seafarers' repatriation efforts.
Kenya's move is seen as a major breakthrough in the efforts to address the crew change crisis, which has left over 200,000 seafarers stranded at sea and another 200,000 waiting to start employment and get paid by working at sea.
Reacting to the news, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) called on the world's governments to act swiftly to give seafarers visa, border and quarantine exemptions in order to make crew changes possible and resolve the present crisis.
Kenya's decision to accept seafarers' crew change is a significant step forward in the efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the shipping industry and to address the crew change crisis.
