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.

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.

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".