Stowaway

A stowaway is a person secreted on a ship, or in cargo later loaded on the ship, without the consent of the owner or master, who is detected on board after the ship departs or in the cargo at the port of arrival and is reported by the master to the authorities. The FAL Convention defines and governs the response: standards added by the 2002 amendments (in force 1 May 2003) and the IMO Guidelines in Resolution A.1027(26) set the duties to search before departure, treat the stowaway humanely, and arrange disembarkation, with the master reporting to the next port and flag state. Costs and repatriation usually fall on the shipowner and its P&I cover.