Greek authorities have transported more than 500 migrants to a port on the mainland in an effort to relieve strain on the island of Crete after a surge in arrivals from Libya.

Greek politicians voted yesterday 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.

Greek lawmakers have voted to temporarily halt asylum requests from North African migrants arriving by sea, a decision criticized by rights groups as illegal. The move follows a surge in migrants reaching Crete and marks a tightening of Greece’s migration policies under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government.