Stowaways continue to present a serious risk for vessels calling at African ports. Many migrants seek to transit through South Africa and try to board ships calling at South African ports. Recent changes to local procedure will mean owners need to continue to proceed prudently and take steps to mitigate this risk. Is someone on board? Lifeboats and ribs are a key place to check for stowaways  (Source: Skuld) Stowaways Members calling at African ports will be familiar with the risk of stowaways seeking to gain access to vessels in the hope that they will be taken to Europe or North America. Many members will probably have had at least one experience of unauthorised persons seeking to gain access to their ship. The dynamic and motivation for this situation remain unchanged, with migrants and possible asylum seekers still trying to reach new shores by way of commercial vessels. As such this risk persists, and members need to maintain their diligent approach to ship side security (and that is necessary for ISPS compliance in any event). Recently Cape Town has adopted an approach to "classifying" such persons which is similar to that already practised in Durban. This approach means that if an unauthorised person is found on board a vessel, then they will be classed as a "stowaway" rather than a "trespasser". That is a significant difference. If a person is found and declared to be a stowaway, then the vessel will be held responsible for the cost and liabilities of the disembarkation and repatriation of that person. On average it can cost USD17,000 to repatriate a person from South Africa back to Tanzania, where a lot of the people involved come from. A vessel would have to prove that the person involved actually came on board at a South African port in order to have them classified as a "trespasser", in which case the vessel may not be held responsible for the follow on costs. The Association's correspondents advise that the burden of proof can be very high in