Reported by Stan of Yacht Circe:

I discovered Petra on Lesbos in Greece is a Port of Entry since last year.
It is used by a number of Turkish day tripping boats as well as yachts.

It is clean and better scaled to yachts than Mytilini.
The Port Police and Customs are very friendly and even shared their grapes with us on arrival.

We had to go a few miles north to Mithymna (Molyvos) to get the DEKPA and finish the entry procedure. I don’t know if this is the regular procedure or if it is because the Petra police were busy with a refugee boat and the Mithymna police had more bandwidth.

Either way, the police were attentive and friendly. They would come to our table at the taverna if they needed anything else or had any questions.

All told, it was about the most relaxed entry formalities we’ve ever experienced…

Stan
Yacht Circe
Netherlands

Further update from MY LeeZe in Mytillini, Greece – 11 September, 2015:

In the last 48 hours, there has been a major change to the crisis.

Nearly ALL of the refugees that were here are now gone.

The tent cities in the parks and open areas are gone. People searching for water and a place to charge their cell phones are gone. The police came yesterday and forced those still residing in the parks and open areas to take their tents down and move to the port.

The number of people waiting at the port is low, really low as of last night, when I dropped a guest off.

The locals have reclaimed their city, were walking about last night, and were smiling.

From talking with them, and a policeman, it seems the government has changed their process.

Refugees are still coming. But when they get here, they are recorded and for 50 €, they are provided a trip to the Port of Athens, where they are registered. Neither knew what was done with the refugees that did not have the money to by a ticket.

This morning, when I got up, the city was clean, and tent free. The mounds of trash are gone. Last night, the refugees that came in from the north had their “care” package in hand, their stipend, and instructions to report to the port for processing and passage to Athens (per the policeman) today.

So, unless their is a huge influx of refugees, the problem on this island is now very much under control.

But, checkin here is still a major PITA. Last night, the Customs dock was full with two cruise ships (taking away that last of the refugees), 3 ferries from Turkey, and a Greek island hopping ferry (which is now selling tickets to refugees to take them to Athens).

Therefore, two incoming boats were tied along the wall waiting to be called back to Customs to check in. One was called at 2115, the other 2245. The Customs people refuse to allow those that do their own checkin to come to the city wall and walk over to them.