Greece's parliament has approved a three-month suspension of asylum claims for migrants arriving from Libya despite strong criticism from the United Nations refugee agency and Europe's top human rights official.

Parliament also passed stricter laws on Friday targeting sea arrivals from North Africa. The rescued 515 migrants — including 85 minors — were transferred to reception centers in Lavrio, Evros, Diavata,

Greek lawmakers voted on Friday to temporarily stop processing asylum requests from migrants arriving from North Africa by sea in a bid to reduce arrivals into Europe's southernmost tip, a move rights groups and opposition parties have called illegal.

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.

Malta, Italy and Greece meet with Ursula von der Leyen to talk about Libya two days after EU delegation ordered to leave Benghazi

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.

In a significant shift in migration policy, Greece is implementing stringent new measures to deter irregular flows, particularly from Libya.