More than 500 migrants arrived at the port of Lavrio near Athens Thursday after being intercepted south of the island of Crete, as Greece implements emergency measures to address a surge in Mediterranean crossings from Libya.

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.

Greek lawmakers are set to vote on a temporary asylum application suspension for migrants from North Africa, a measure criticized as illegal by rights groups. This comes as Crete sees a rise in migrant arrivals,