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.

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