ATHENS, June 10 (Reuters) - Greece's parliament approved legislation late on Tuesday to fast-track deportation of rejected asylum seekers and allow their transfer to "return hubs" outside the bloc once bilateral agreements are reached with third countries.
Greece - Europe's southernmost country in the Mediterranean and a main entry point for migrants - was on the front line of a 2015-16 crisis when more than a million people from the Middle East and Africa crossed into Europe.
Arrivals have ebbed since then, but two Aegean islands nearest to the African coast - Crete and Gavdos - have seen a steep rise in migrant boats, mainly from Libya, reaching their shores over the past couple of years.
European Union lawmakers and governments agreed last week on new rules allowing countries to send migrants ordered to leave the bloc to centres in third countries, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups that warn it could enable abuses.
Greece has been working with the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Austria to set up joint return and transit hubs, while bilateral talks with Uganda on a similar arrangement have been put on hold.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday's vote, Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said the EU states have been talking with third countries as they seek to clinch their first agreements this year for the hubs to be operational in 2027.
"The Greek government has already been in consultations with two African countries," Plevris told the semi-state Athens News Agency on Wednesday. He did not name the countries.
(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Kevin Buckland)
