Annan blasts some EU countries

Annan blasts some EU countries

STOCKHOLM (AFP): United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on Tuesday accused some European Union countries of violating the UN convention on refugees, saying they were unjustifiably tightening immigration policies instead of granting asylum.

"Because of the popular resentment towards immigrants, some governments are taking approaches which are not in strict accordance with the 1951 Geneva Convention" on refugees, he told reporters here after a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.

Annan did not specify any countries by name.

The UN chief expanded on comments made Monday at a two-day International Forum on Combating Intolerance here, when he compared the EU's system unfavorably with North America's approach. "I encouraged the EU to adopt the right approach to refugee policy," he said.