UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern Thursday that European countries were closing their borders to refugees and that xenophobia in the region was rising, About Croatia reported.
In a speech in the Austrian parliament, Ban applauded Austria and other European countries for the generosity that they had shown so far towards refugees.
"But I am concerned that European countries are now adopting increasingly restrictive immigration and refugee policies," he said.
"We have a moral and political obligation to help those who are fleeing wars, human rights violations and persecution," Ban said.
He added that he was "alarmed about growing xenophobia" in and outside of Austria.
Ban addressed the parliament one day after legislators adopted a stricter asylum law that will allow the government to reject nearly all asylum seekers at the borders if it finds that public order and security are endangered by the number of arrivals.
In addition, the law makes it harder for refugees to bring family to Austria.