Seafarers face hell and high water

Since April this year, at least 130 Filipino seafarers have been arrested by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, allegedly for possessing or accessing child pornography. They were then deported summarily from US ports after being coerced into signing documents for “voluntary withdrawal” of their US visas. No formal charges were made.

The deported seafarers face a 10-year ban from reentering the US, which severely impacts their livelihood and career.

In a Senate hearing, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officials said the deportations started in January 2025, following new and more restrictive US immigration and visa policies under the Trump administration.

While the US government maintains that the deportations comply with existing laws, maritime groups point out that the actions breach due process, with Filipino seafarers saying they were “treated like criminals” after being denied permission to disembark. They said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers boarded their vessels, conducted digital inspections of personal devices, and subsequently detained and “interrogated for hours” several crew members without legal counsel. They were deported shortly after even when no incriminating material was found in their devices.

One million deportation

The deported Filipino seafarers were not informed of their right to consular representation as stated in Article 36 of the Vienna Convention, noted DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia. Even the Consulate of the Philippines was not informed that the seafarers were detained, interviewed, and deported, he added.

The International Seafarers Action Center, a global labor advocacy group, meanwhile cited violations of the provisions under the International Labor Organization’s Maritime Labor Convention of 2006, which guarantees fair treatment of seafarers regardless of nationality.

The US, through CBP and ICE, has broad authority to deny entry to foreign nationals aboard commercial or passenger vessels entering US waters. The arrest of Filipino seafarers is seen as part of Trump’s target of 1 million deportation cases by end of 2025 to supposedly clean the US of illegal immigrants and criminals.

While the DMW and the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC have said that they are coordinating with US authorities to clarify the incidents and ensure that the rights of Filipino nationals are protected, advocacy groups have called out the government’s tepid response to the situation, and its seeming resignation to the arbitrary deportation as part of US policy.

Emergency repatriation

In a statement, the Philippine Embassy said it continues to engage US authorities, including the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, to demand transparency and fair treatment for maritime professionals arriving in the US, and to “ensure that mandatory consular notification is observed in such cases.”

The Embassy added that it was also working with unions, shipowners, and manning agencies to document the cases and assist the affected crew, even as the DMW continues to offer emergency repatriation and employment assistance to the deported sailors.

But advocacy groups rightly pointed out how the government could do more to address the CBP’s “unjust and inhumane” action and exact accountability for its disregard of the crew’s rights.

For a start, consular and Embassy officials can actively reach out and support those arrested with food and medical attention while in detention, and legal advice before deportation. A hotline to the consular offices should be established for seafarers to seek consular assistance.

Cornerstone of Philippine economy

Aside from filing a diplomatic protest, the President too must flex the country’s vaunted closeness to the US as its longtime ally, and cite how it has responded to the US’ needs in times of crisis as in allowing the transit and processing of Afghan refugees here amid the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan a few years back. Reciprocity is expected between friendly countries after all.

Advocacy groups have also urged the DMW and other related agencies to update their predeparture orientation seminars for seafarers to include modules on child pornography laws and related issues, and the latest visa and immigration policies of the US.

With the Philippines deploying some 500,000 seafarers annually, Filipino sailors account for roughly 30 percent of the world’s merchant mariners—from oil tankers and bulk carriers to luxury liners and passenger ferries.

As such, seafaring remains a cornerstone of the Philippine economy, with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reporting remittances from sea-based Filipino workers reaching nearly $7 billion in 2024.

Given that the recent deportations would hurt the economic stability of half a million Filipino households dependent on maritime workers while also undermining the country’s reputation as a reliable labor source, an urgent and proactive response from the government is expected.