UN Condemns Balkan Countries for Closing Borders to Refugees

The United Nations condemned the recent actions of Balkan countries in closing their borders to a large number of economic refugees. However, with a new wave of refugees moving towards Europe, the Swedish government has announced that it will tighten its laws regarding the acceptance of refugees. According to Reuters, Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, emphasized in a statement on Tuesday, November 24, regarding the situation at the borders of Greece and Macedonia, that 'reviewing refugee cases based on their nationality, as has been reported, is a violation of the human rights of refugees, as each case should be examined based on individual circumstances regardless of nationality.' Mr. Ban then urged all countries to take responsibility for refugees and act with compassion. Balkan countries have closed their borders to economic refugees and those coming from non-war-torn countries in response to the human wave heading towards Europe. This action has resulted in approximately a thousand refugees being stranded at the Greece-Macedonia border. Although Reuters reports that the wave of strict measures has somewhat decreased on Tuesday, this new policy remains in effect. Meanwhile, Sweden, which has been considered a haven for refugees for decades, has announced that it will increase its border controls and implement stricter laws regarding refugees. According to AFP, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven stated on Tuesday at a press conference, 'It pains me to say that Sweden can no longer accept refugees at this level... Sweden needs to breathe.' He indicated that the pressure on the Swedish system from refugees must be reduced and that refugees should also turn to other European countries. Mr. Löfven finally stated that Sweden's laws regarding the acceptance of refugees will change for three years and will reach the minimum level of the European Union. Sweden, with a population of 9.8 million, has received about 80,000 asylum applications in the past two months. During these two months, the left-wing Swedish government has been working to reduce the number of refugees through various measures, including increased border controls. Protests by stranded refugees at the Greece-Macedonia border against the closure of borders have entered their fourth day. The White House has asked governors not to disrupt the acceptance of refugees.