Unions are lobbying the Australian government to help disembark 11,000 crew members stuck on 11 cruise ships – many of which are drifting off the country's coastline, but staying in international waters, rendering Australia powerless to order them to leave.

The unions' call for the crews to be evacuated under supervision by the Australian Border Force – at the expense of the cruise ship owners, mainly Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corp – comes as German-operated cruise ship Artania has refused to leave the port of Fremantle in Western Australia.