Greek lawmakers prepared to vote on legislation on Thursday that would temporarily halt the processing of asylum applications of people coming from North Africa, a move rights groups 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.

Greece will suspend the processing of asylum applications from individuals arriving from North Africa for three months. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the decision in parliament on Wednesday amid an uptick of arrivals – an estimated 2,