The Nigerian stowaways involved in a security incident on an oil tanker have been detained while police determine whether they should face criminal charges.
Detectives will want to examine if any force was used or threats made by the men towards the crew of the Nave Andromeda while it was in the Channel off the Isle of Wight on Sunday.
So far there has been no suggestion of violent conduct by the stowaways and police confirmed that none of the crew was injured in the ten-hour incident, which was ended by the Special Boat Service.
Hampshire constabulary said that seven men had been arrested on suspicion of seizing or exercising control of a ship by use of threats or force under Sections 9 (1) and (3) of Aviation and Maritime and Security Act 1990. They all remain in custody at stations across the county.
Four stowaways from Lagos, Nigeria, were jailed for affray this year after waving metal poles and throwing faeces and urine when discovered on a vessel. They had demanded that the crew drop them off when the container ship reached the Thames Estuary, bound for Tilbury docks, Essex.
The men, in their twenties, were cleared of attempting to hijack the 78,000-tonne Grande Tema in December 2018.
Given that they made throat-slitting gestures and threatened violence, that incident appears far more serious than the weekend’s stowaway drama.
Hampshire constabulary said only that “police are investigating this incident and we have a number of inquiries to carry out to establish the full circumstances”.
The stowaways’ immigration status will also be reviewed. Asylum applicants must prove that they would be at risk of serious harm if they were returned for reasons of nationality, political opinion, race, religion, or membership of a particular social group.
The way in which they arrived in the UK will not of itself be a barrier as manner and mode of entry are not enough for an asylum claim to fail.
In 2006 nine Afghan asylum seekers won a legal challenge over their right to stay in the UK after they seized a Boeing 727 and forced the crew to fly to Stansted Airport in Essex six years earlier.
The government repeatedly refused to grant refugee status to the group, who were escaping the Taliban, but was overruled in the High Court.
What is a flag of convenience?
Every merchant ship must be registered with the International Maritime Organisation but its owner can choose where it is registered (Robert Lea writes). A flag of convenience describes those ships or shipping lines that are owned by interests in one country but whose vessels sail under the flag of another country.
Why is this ship under a Liberian flag when it is Greek-owned?
Liberia is one of the two main so-called open shipping registries in the world. The other is Panama.
What is the point of flags of convenience?
Some open registries apply much laxer regulations than others. It is for that reason that the flag of convenience description is often used as a pejorative term. Operating under these open registries often means paying lower taxes, avoiding higher labour costs, adherence to less-strict environmental standards as well as being a generally more cost-effective way of running a shipping business.
Why is the Liberian shipping register headquartered in Washington DC?
With 4,400 vessels on its register it accounts for about 12 per cent of the world’s merchant shipping fleet. It is administered by a private US company and being headquartered in the US capital gives it credibility. It has offices in London too.
Are there any benefits to being British-registered, sailing under the Red Ensign?
There are two benefits: Britain’s registry standards are considered among the highest in the world so vessels are less likely to be rigorously inspected; and the Royal Navy is committed to protecting maritime trade flying the British flag.
