Thousands of people living in "abysmal" refugee camps on two Greek islands are "on the edge of catastrophe", Europe's human rights watchdog has said.

Axar.az reports that Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke of an "explosive situation" on the Aegean islands, home to 36,000 asylum seekers.

Hours later, Greece's parliament passed a bill to fast track deportations.

The prime minister said refugees would be protected but Greece's gates would not be thrown open to everyone.

The left-wing opposition has criticized the law and some humanitarian groups, including the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, have warned it could restrict protection for asylum seekers.

But center-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move would deter those not entitled to asylum, telling parliament: "Enough is enough."

Mr. Mitsotakis, who took office in July, has taken a much tougher stance against migrants and asylum seekers than his left-wing predecessor, Alexis Tsipras.

While Mr. Tsipras condemned the bill, the prime minister told parliament the law sent a clear message that those who were not entitled to asylum would be sent back.