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

Greek lawmakers were set to vote on legislation on Thursday that would temporarily halt the processing of asylum applications of people coming from North Africa for at least three months, a move rights groups have called illegal.

In recent days, more than 2,000 migrants have landed on Crete, prompting the Greek authorities to halt asylum hearings for those arriving from Africa.The Greek government announced on Wednesday that it would suspend the processing of asylum applications for migrants arriving to the country by sea from Libya.