Stowaways get expensive in Brazil

Stowaways continue to be a major problem for Carriers. The situation in Brazil is the authorities will rarely allow stowaways to remain on board and sail with the vessel, insisting instead that stowaways are disembarked and repatriated from Brazil. In some instances this can seem an ideal solution, but the reality is that the authorities will usually insist stowaways are removed to a hotel, which is an expense in itself, and supervised by security guards.

Frequently stowaways are not repatriated until some months after their initial disembarkation, making the cost of their stay in Brazil potentially exorbitant. A variety of reasons are given for the delays, ranging from problems with travel visas to a lack of properly qualified security escorts.

The actual costs of repatriation are similarly expensive. In a recent case, expenses of almost USD150,000 were incurred for the repatriation of two stowaways from Salvador.

Carriers are urged not to rely upon port security in the usual stowaway hot spots, and to continue to take all reasonable precautionary measures to prevent stowaways getting on board.