Greece enforces freeze on asylum claims from North African migrants to address surge, sparking criticism and support.

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.

ATHENS (Reuters) -Gale force wind gusts complicated efforts on Friday to contain wildfires on Crete that have razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate.

Firefighters struggled to gain control over a massive wildfire burning on the Greek island of Crete, as powerful winds fanned the flames.

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.

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. More than 430 migrants were spotted and rescued about 25 nautical miles off Gavdos,

Crete, Greece is grappling with an influx of migrants, with nearly 2,000 people arriving on the island in the past 48 hours alone.

As Greece announces a three-month pause on accepting asylum applications from people arriving by sea from North Africa, and plans to immediately detain those reaching Greece via the Mediterranean Sea,