Greece on Friday was to enforce a three-month freeze on asylum claims from migrants arriving by boat from North Africa, to stem a surge from Libya that the government has called an "invasion".

Greece's three-month asylum ban for migrants from Libya and other North African countries has been condemned by the UN and rights groups.

In recent days, more than 2,000 migrants have landed on Crete, prompting the Greek authorities to halt asylum hearings for those arriving from Africa.The Greek government announced on Wednesday that it would suspend the processing of asylum applications for migrants arriving to the country by sea from Libya.

Greece intercepts over 500 migrants near Crete, taking emergency actions due to rising Mediterranean crossings from Libya. The influx has overwhelmed local facilities, prompting the suspension of asylum processing for three months.

The Greek government announced on Wednesday that it intends to stop processing asylum applications for migrants arriving in the country by sea from Libya, for a period of at least three months. Migrants,

Athens suspends asylum requests from North Africa amid rising migrant arrivals and tensions with Libyan authorities following EU delegation’s rejected visit to Benghazi.

Greek lawmakers are set to vote on new legislation temporarily halting asylum applications from North Africa amid a surge in migrants. Human rights groups have condemned the move as illegal. The measure comes as Greece seeks to control migration,

His son, Belkacem Haftar – head of the Organization for Reconstruction and Development and the official who met with Greek Foreign Minister G. Gerapetritis last Sunday – invited the Greek Consul General in Benghazi, A. Kalognomis, to his home on Wednesday evening to discuss bilateral cooperation planning.