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The Sun
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
How Greek island Lesbos stopped migrant invasion using controversial yet effective ‘pushback' deterrent hailed by locals
AS the influx of illegal migrants to Britain's shores shows no sign of abating, something very different is happening 2,000 miles away on the Greek island of Lesbos. Here, just seven miles across the Mytilini Strait from Turkey, the number of crossings has shrunk, thanks to a controversial but extremely effective deterrent. 7 7 7 At its peak ten years ago, up to 3,500 migrants a day landed on Lesbos, having made the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea in makeshift boats and cheap dinghies. But now, thanks to Greece's robust policy of 'pushbacks' — intercepting the boats and returning them to Turkish waters — that number has plummeted to just 1,700 so far this year. Aegean Boat Report, a Norwegian non-governmental organisation that monitors migrant flows in the area, says Turkey also regularly intercepts boats before they reach the Greek Islands and returns them to the mainland. Campaigners have slammed the practice, claiming it is illegal, but locals say the crackdown has saved the scenic holiday retreat from economic disaster — and most importantly, it has saved lives. Fisherman Thanassis Marmarinos recalls the horror of seeing the bodies of migrants in the sea before Greece's hardline anti- immigration government was elected in 2019. Floating corpses He said: 'It was extremely bad before, I can't imagine it being any worse. 'Every day there were thousands of migrants crossing. 'For five months I couldn't make any money because I would spend all my time trying to stop them drowning. 'People were asking for help and they were dying in the water, so I had no other option. 'I saw the corpses floating in the sea with my own eyes. 'In 2015 there was only one coastguard ship and they were overwhelmed, so I and four other fishermen did what we could to help save lives. 'The smugglers were charging about 2,000 euros per person for the 90-minute sailing to Lesbos. 'But to save money they were giving the migrants cheap, Chinese-made boats that had two sections to their engines — one full of fuel, the other full of water, so they would stop working halfway.' In 2015, triggered by war and political unrest in the Middle East and Africa, the refugee crisis had one of its deadliest years for small-boat crossings. A total of 805 people drowned as they tried to cross what is dubbed the Eastern Mediterranean corridor by Frontex, the European Union's border and coastguard agency. An incredible 800,000 landed in Greece the same year, 60 per cent of them reaching Lesbos, according to the UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency. Since then, Frontex has expanded hugely, from a small administrative office in Warsaw to the EU's biggest agency, with 10,000 armed guards backed by helicopters, drones and ships and with an annual budget of more than a billion euros. Another six billion euros has been paid to Turkey to boost border security, and unlike Britain's £500million three-year deal with France, it has led to a sharp fall in people-smuggling. 7 7 Last year 54,000 small-boat migrants reached the Greek Islands from Turkey, and as we reported last week, Frontex has recorded a further 29 per cent fall in irregular migration through its Eastern Mediterranean border in the first quarter of this year. Fewer crossings have led to a fall in fatalities of more than 75 per cent since 2015, with 191 asylum seekers reported missing or dead in the same area last year. This is despite the Greek government banning charities and individuals from helping small-boat migrants while they are at sea — another key difference from the UK, where 1,371 people crossing the Channel were rescued by the RNLI last year. On Lesbos, new arrivals are not given a hotel room, and currently around 1,100 people are being housed in containers at the Closed Control Access Centre on the north east coast, where the provisions are basic. Sometimes when refugees reach here, they catch them, put them on a boat and drop them in the middle of the ocean on a life raft. Joaquin O'Ryan This is in contrast to two years ago, when up to 5,000 people had their claims processed there, while 20,000 were held in the island's old Moria 'camp of shame' before it was destroyed by fire in 2020. Fisherman Thanassis, 72, is one of the many islanders who believe that the election of the hardline New Democracy party in 2019, when Kyriakos Mitsotakis became Greece 's Prime Minister, was a turning point. He said: 'Everything changed when New Democracy was elected and they started sending the migrants back to Turkey. 'After that it became a bad deal to pay to cross to Greece, because you would end up back where you started.' When The Sun visited this week, there was not a single sea arrival on Lesbos, despite the Aegean being perfectly calm. Key to the change has been the decision to redesignate Turkey as a 'safe third country' for asylum-seekers. But charities insist the pushbacks are illegal, and Frontex is currently investigating alleged human rights violations by the Greek coastguard. 7 7 A statement by Aegean Boat Report said: 'Systematic human rights violations at the Greek sea border have been ongoing for over five years. 'Almost 100,000 people have been illegally and violently removed from Greek territory and pushed back towards Turkey, over 1,000 people have been killed in these illegal operations.' Joaquin O'Ryan, of humanitarian group Europe Cares, which provides meals and activities for people living in the CCAC camp, said: 'These pushbacks are illegal but it's a systemic process — they are not being carried out by just one person — so they can do whatever they want, basically. 'Sometimes when refugees reach here [Lesbos], they catch them, put them on a boat and drop them in the middle of the ocean on a life raft.' The Lesbos coastguard now has around half a dozen frigates, some supplied by Frontex, and most of the islanders we spoke to support the tough action being taken by the authorities. Waiter Kristos Condeli, 60, said: 'Tourism was completely destroyed for a few years after 2015. 'The cruise ships stopped coming here because they didn't want passengers to see corpses floating in the sea. 'There were thousands of migrants coming here and some of them resorted to stealing to survive. 'It got to the point that it was no longer safe to leave your bag in your car as someone would smash the window and steal it. 'UK could learn a lot' 'With no tourists, there was very little work for waiters. 'I had to relocate to Corfu to make a living and I've only recently been able to move back. 'The number of migrants crossing is down significantly in recent years and it's all thanks to the coastguard and Frontex, who are doing a fantastic job. 'The UK could learn a lot from the things done here.' Receptionist Maria Dimitriou works at the island's Molyvos Hotel. She fears the migrant problem has been pushed further south to Crete, where 6,500 migrants from Libya in North Africa have landed in the last six months. She said: 'Before the crisis started, we had one of our best years for tourism. 'The hotels were full of visitors from Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium and the UK. 'When the migrants first started coming, the tourists said they wanted to help them. 'But the next year no one came back. 'I can only guess that they were put off by all the TV reports and they didn't want to risk seeing a dead body when they were on holiday. 'The drop in numbers almost destroyed the tourism industry in Lesbos. 'If it wasn't for weekend visitors from Turkey, this island would already be dead. 'In 2015 the refugees were everywhere. 'We felt sorry for the people from Syria, who were escaping a genuine war zone. 'After that, they were from everywhere and tell me, how can you be called a refugee when you are from Pakistan? 'The tourism industry is getting back to normal now and this hotel is close to full capacity for the next few months. 'But everyone is worried that, given what is happening in Iran and Palestine, the situation might get worse again.'
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Rally in Belagavi against drug abuse
The police organised a rally to create awareness against drug abuse to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Belagavi on Thursday. A large number of students, NGO members and officers participated in the rally that began at the Rani Channamma Circle and ended at KLE Centenary Hall. They carried placards and raised slogans against drug abuse during their rally. Police Commissioner Borasae Bhushan Gulabrao, who flagged off the rally, said that the city police are adopting a zero tolerance policy against drug abuse. He said that special teams have been formed to trace and arrest those related to drug peddling. He said that he and his officers will soon visit schools and colleges to organise awareness creation programmes. The rally was organised in association with Jain International Trade Organisation and Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) Belagavi unit. Deputy Drug Controller M. Nagaraj, Assistant Drug Controllers K. Mallikarjun, Raghuram Nidavanda and M. Manohar and Drug Inspector Renu Prasad and M. Dayanand from the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA), JITO office-bearers Harshavardhan Inchal and Abhay Adimani, event convenor Devagouda Imagoudanavar and others were present. Members of Belgaum District Retailer and Wholesale Pharma Association, KAHER, Rani Chennamma College of Pharmacy, Maratha Mandal College of Pharmacy, Sagar College of Pharmacy and many more organizations joined the event.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
‘Animals ailing at ABC centre': NGO flags serious concerns
Chandigarh: An NGO involved in animal welfare activities has raised serious concerns over the abrupt relocation of animals from the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) centre in Sector 38W to the Raipur Kalan animal birth control (ABC) centre, and the alleged misuse of government funds meant for animal welfare. Both centres come under the Chandigarh municipal corporation. SPCA Chandigarh, the only government-run veterinary shelter in the Union Territory, has come under scrutiny after its animals were hastily moved to the ABC Centre on April 29, ahead of a renovation project that is yet to begin. Nikki Latta Gill, executive director of Sehjeevi (NGO), described the move as "ill-planned and inhumane," emphasizing that the ABC centre was never designed to function as a full-time shelter. "The animals are suffering. The relocation has turned a temporary neutering facility into a prison for innocent souls," Gill said at a press conference on Wednesday. She alleged that many large dogs are forced to stay in smaller kennels and several healthy dogs are not being released. "This will inevitably lead to the development of undesirable, aggressive behaviours, which will become a menace to public safety when these animals are released back to the place from where they were picked," GIll added. The NGO also claimed that kennel blocks in Raipur Kalan have become breeding grounds for diseases, including canine distemper, tick fever and skin infections. "This also poses a public health hazard when these animals are released back to the streets," Gill added. According to the NGO, paralyzed dogs are almost left to die, with nobody to take care of them. 'Financial discrepancies' An RTI filed by Gill revealed shocking figures: out of the Rs 96 lakh annual grant for FY 2023–24, Rs 91.72 lakh was spent on salaries, while only Rs 57,565 went toward medical expenses and Rs 3.3 lakh on food — for over 150 animals. Gill presented veterinary estimates showing that actual annual costs for food and medicine should be around Rs 30.85 lakh, underscoring a massive shortfall in care. Gill has also filed an RTI demanding monthly data on admissions, releases, deaths (with causes), and missing animals; a formal enquiry into the relocation and disciplinary action against officials responsible; and digitalization of records for transparency and governance. Facility supervisor responds Supervisor of the facility, Sourav Sharma, said, "A tubewell (which supplies water to Raipur Kalan centre) is currently not functional, however water tanks are being sent twice a day by medical officer, health, because of which we are able to clean the facility." He said talks are underway about creating an open area for dogs and allocating a special area for paralysed animals. He said, "There are two doctors and 23 staff members at the facility. " For better administrative purposes he recommended that a structured channel be put in place for timely clearance of bills, so that the supplies reach the facility on time, and payment of salary for staff. MC to take stock: Kumar MC commissioner Amit Kumar said, "There is a team already working on the facility, and we will detail the team to review the situation."
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
MACC remands NGO chief over alleged money laundering, misuse of charity funds
PUTRAJAYA, June 25 (Bernama) — A chairman of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been remanded on suspicion of involvement in money laundering and using proceeds of corruption through personal accounts, his company, and those of relatives and associates. According to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) source, the male suspect in his 30s was arrested at around 2.30pm yesterday while giving a statement at the MACC headquarters here. 'The suspect is believed to have committed the acts between 2015 and 2025, and previously the suspect had been remanded for a case investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 related to abuse of power and misappropriation of NGO funds at the suspect's workplace,' said the source. Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin granted a four-day remand, until this Saturday, after an application was made by the MACC at the Magistrate's Court here today. Meanwhile, MACC Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Division director Norhaizam Muhammad, when contacted, confirmed the arrest. He said the case is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001).
Barnama
3 days ago
- Barnama
MACC Remands NGO Chairman On Suspicion Of Money Laundering
PUTRAJAYA, June 25 (Bernama) -- A chairman of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been remanded on suspicion of being involved in money laundering and using proceeds of corruption through personal accounts, his company, and those of relatives and associates. According to a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) source, the male suspect in his 30s was arrested at around 2.30 pm yesterday while giving a statement at the MACC headquarters here. 'The suspect is believed to have committed the acts between 2015 and 2025, and previously the suspect had been remanded for a case investigated under Section 23 of the MACC Act 2009 related to abuse of power and misappropriation of NGO funds at the suspect's workplace," said the source.
