Pay attention to immigration requirements

A member was appointed as the agent of a ship for approximately 14 days while decommissioning took place. The agent was requested to handle the immigration requirements for the crew and others working on the ship.

The agent did not however provide the correct information to the immigration authorities. This resulted in seven technicians coming ashore without the correct permits. As the men were not on the crew list, the customs did not consider them to be crew members. They were detained in a local prison.

The agent arranged for a local lawyer to represent the individuals and obtain their release from jail. The lawyer obtained their release and they were repatriated. A small fine was imposed on each individual.

The incident was the result of the negligence of the agent and ITIC agreed to pay for all legal fees incurred on this case.