Updated

U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon is criticizing restrictions on refugees in Europe, saying they "negatively impact" commitments to international law.

Ban did not name any country in his speech Thursday to Austria's lower house of parliament. But considering the venue, his comments appeared to allude at least in part to ongoing Austrian moves to tighten and reduce the entry of migrants.

The upper house is scheduled later in the day to vote into effect a law that would allow authorities the option of stopping to accept asylum requests at borders if necessary to "maintain public order and ... protect internal security." Asylum seekers would instead be turned back.

Austria welcomed migrants last year but has moved to severe restrictions after accepting about 90,000 asylum requests.