The Greek government has announced a significant tightening of its migration policy in response to a rise in migrant arrivals in Crete.
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris told parliament on Friday that if the situation continued as it had the previous day, when more than 600 people arrived in Crete, the government would take "very tough measures".
Plans are in place for secure reception centres in Chania and Heraklion, where migrants are to be housed pending the assessment of their status.
With the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is due to come into force on June 12, the aim is to distinguish more quickly in future between those entitled to protection and those with no prospect of asylum.
Procedures and possible deportations are to be completed within a few weeks, Plevris added.
Greece does not want to relive conditions like those seen in 2015 and 2016, said the migration minister. At that time, hundreds of thousands of migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan came to Europe via Turkey and the Balkan route.
Pressure is now mounting along the route from Libya to Crete, with most migrants coming from Bangladesh and Egypt. The minister said they are "clearly economic migrants" as there is no war ongoing in either country.
According to information from sources within the Greek coastguard, dozens of boats from Libya are reportedly on their way to Crete.
Plevris recently stated that more than half a million people are waiting in Libya for a crossing to Europe.
