U.N. chief blasts border restrictions on refugees in Balkan states

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday sharply criticized border restrictions imposed by several states in the Balkans on refugees from countries other than Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.N. press office said. Macedonia, Serbia and other Balkan states have implemented a new policy to filter the flow by granting passage onwards towards Western Europe only to those fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, who are seen as genuine asylum seekers rather than "economic migrants." "(Ban) expresses his serious concerns on the recent border restrictions imposed by a number of states in the Balkans," the U.N. statement said. "Profiling asylum seekers on the basis of their alleged nationality infringes the human right of all people to seek asylum, irrespective of their nationality and to have their individual cases heard," it added. The new restrictions are a response to what has been an anarchic, largely unchecked stream of humanity into Europe this year, a situation that has led to the biggest global refugee and migration crisis since World War Two. Iranians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis trapped in Balkan border zones have been among those protesting. The U.N. refugee agency has said that denial of entry solely due to nationalities was a violation of international law. It was a view that Ban echoed. He urged countries to ensure their border practices were in line with international laws on refugees and human rights. Ban called on nations to "respond with compassion, solidarity and shared responsibility, and notes that the current situation highlights the urgent need for coordinated border management." (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)