IT is a figure that Britain’s embattled political leaders can only dream of.
Asked how many small boats have landed in Crete since it suspended new asylum claims from North Africa — and vowed to arrest anyone entering illegally –— deputy mayor Eleni Zervoudaki responds with a resounding “zero.”
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Standing inside an empty migrant detention centre near Chania in the northwest of the Greek island, she says the hardline stance has not only stopped thousands crossing from Libya, it has also smashed the smugglers’ business model.
Eleni is on the left of the political spectrum so not a natural ally of the centre-right New Democracy party that won a landslide victory at the national elections two years ago.
But in an exclusive interview, she told The Sun: “Our new policy is for illegal people to be arrested and they are not allowed to apply for asylum.
“From the moral side it’s illegal and it’s not right, but from the other side I can understand the government is searching for a way to stop illegal immigration.
“A turning point came on July 6 when 2,000 migrants landed and there were so many boats from Libya we had to find a response.
“The majority — about 900 at the peak — were held in this building. Locals were stressed and afraid.
“We are a tourist island and of course there were concerns about what would happen if the asylum seekers continued to come.
“There are two or three million migrants in Libya and we are the door to Europe for them — most want to go to Britain, Germany and France.
“For the past two weeks there have been no boats.
“Before, they were landing once or twice a week.
“I think the new policy will damage the smugglers’ business model, so maybe this is something the UK government can learn from us.
“But I’m sure the smugglers will come up with another plan because there is a lot of money at stake.
“Migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh will pay up to 7,000 euros to cross to Europe.”
The Sun’s report comes after the Labour Government announced the start of its much trumpeted one-in, one-out deal with France, which has already been branded a “farce.”
The trial, which started on Tuesday, sees French authorities taking back a limited number of Channel migrants for each genuine refugee we accept in return.
The Government says this will disrupt the smugglers’ business model.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Returning just six per cent of illegal immigrants, as reported, will have no deterrent effect whatsoever — because 94 per cent get to stay.”
The Greek government faced a similar crisis when unprecedented numbers began to make the arduous, 100 nautical mile journey from Tobruk in Libya to Europe’s southern- most island Crete.
More than 10,000 had reached the island by last month, amid rumours the crossings were being organised by Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar as part of a “hybrid threat,” to place pressure on Greek politicians.
But new migration minister Thanos Plevris responded by taking the type of decisive action many British voters are crying out for.
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On July 11, he suspended all new asylum claims for people arriving from North Africa for at least three months, adding that anyone landing illegally would be arrested and could face up to five years in prison if they did not agree to be deported.
It is a similar response to the one Reform leader Nigel Farage has pledged to introduce should he win the next election, although he credited Australia’s “stop the boats” policy for inspiring his thinking.
Oz PM Tony Abbott’s hardline stance achieved instant results in 2013.
Under Abbott’s Operation Sovereign Borders policy, small boats were intercepted and passengers returned to Asia or taken to overseas island detention centres.
It resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in arrivals by sea.
So what have been the results of the law change in Greece?
Between July 11 and July 25, a total of 13 boats carrying 843 migrants made it to Crete, according to the Hellenic coastguard.
Since then — none.
‘OVERWHELMED’
Georgios Sergentanis, 32, volunteers for Crete’s Civil Protection group, and says locals felt overwhelmed before the policy change.
“Our organisation would give the migrants food and water when they were brought to the port and I understand why people were so concerned.
“For five days at the end of June, we had 300 or 400 arriving every day and it was too much.
“Civil protection was not prepared because we only have 15 members and we have other jobs, so only five of us could look after the migrants.
“About 95 per cent of them were men and they would be tired and hungry because it takes between 30 hours and three days to reach Crete from Libya and it is tough.
“But many of them looked angry and we did fear for our safety, because there were only five of us and there could be 30 or 50 of them. It felt intimidating.”
Maria Kafetzidaki, 42, works as a waitress at The Wave restaurant overlooking Halikia Beach in Paleochora in southern Crete, where migrants from countries including Sudan, Egypt, Afghanistan and Pakistan would land previously.
She suspects the crossings will resume once the strong winds lashing the Mediterranean abate, but she added: “We have had a few good weather days in the past two weeks and no one landed, so let’s see.
“Before the law was introduced people were crossing every day when it wasn’t windy.
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“When so many landed last month, people were concerned because it’s not normal.
“Some locals were worried about the effect on tourism, and the fishermen told me they regularly had to intervene to stop people drowning.
“But I don’t know if the government’s new policy will work because these people are escaping from difficult situations.”
Katerina Drakopoulou, a Crete-based lawyer with the Greek Council for Refugees, is firmly opposed to the “inhumane” government policy and is calling for a reception centre to be built.
She said: “Our view is that it’s completely against European, international and Greek law. It cannot be justified by any means.
“We are seeing the criminalisation of refugees because the smuggling networks are forcing people in desperate need, who don’t have any money, to drive the boats.
“When they arrive, they are arrested and charged with smuggling, so access to asylum is being criminalised.
“The excuse the government uses is the huge number of arrivals.
“But the number this year is similar to last year — the only difference is they were arriving on Crete and it used to be the Aegean islands.”
‘CONCRETE ACTION’
But Sevi Voloudaki, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, told The Sun: “Crete is not an open frontier.
“It is sovereign Greek and European territory.
“We defend those borders through planning, legality, and absolute operational effectiveness.
“Not through rhetoric, but through concrete action.
“That is why the temporary suspension of asylum applications was introduced.
“It was a necessary measure, taken in response to an exceptional situation, to safeguard national security and to protect the integrity of the asylum system from being exploited.
“Under the new legal framework coming into effect this autumn, anyone who does not have the right to remain will be returned.
“If immediate return is not possible, they will be detained.”
Commodore Dimitra Hasioti is proud the Hellenic coastguard has not seen a single migrant drown since the new smuggling route opened two years ago.
“Since July 25, we haven’t had any boats arriving and, while I can’t say for certain why they have stopped, it might be because of the change in the law.
“It seems possible that we witnessed the last irregular entrants landing on Crete two weeks ago.”
