By NNN-KUNA,
Brussels : European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has received here Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, for a working lunch to discuss the new EU immigration and asylum policy that was approved a week ago by EU interior ministers.
Guterres raised the problem of Iraqi refugees as he recently warned Europe to keep the door open for genuine Iraqi asylum-seekers or risk Middle Eastern countries following their lead and expelling thousands of people.
The UN official later met Jacques Barrot, EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, and discussed the problem of the readmission of refugees and offered his support to the creation of a European office.
“The level of recognition, for example, for Iraqis goes from zero per cent and 90 per cent in the different EU member states. And this creates very complex problems,” Guterres told reporters after the meeting Wednesday.
He said the UNHCR “is very interested on seeing the development of an European capacity and we will give our support to the opening of an asylum office”.
Barrot said he is preparing seven proposals to build a European asylum system that will be protective, efficient and fair.