The United Nations urged countries to treat refugees with "compassion and empathy" after deadly attacks in Paris prompted some Europeans to demand a halt to the influx of migrants and eight US states to close their doors to them.
"The reaction to the wave of refugees that we're seeing should be one of compassion and empathy. These are people who are fleeing the very destruction of Daesh that we're seeing in Paris," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Monday, using the Arabic name for ISIS.
"Obviously it's understandable countries need to take whatever measures they need to take to protect their own citizens against any form of terrorism. But obviously focusing that on refugees, vulnerable people who are themselves fleeing violence, I think would not be the right way to go," he added.