Greece on Friday enforced 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". Plevris -- formerly a member of the far-right LAOS party and now part of Mitsotakis's New Democracy party -- has called the recent influx an "invasion from North Africa".

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s government said Wednesday it is temporarily suspending asylum applications for migrants arriving on the island of Crete, following a spike in arrivals from Libya.

Greece has rescued hundreds of migrants off its southern islands of Gavdos and Crete in five separate incidents since Friday, its coastguard said on Sunday.