UN on Trump’s Guantanamo plan: a last exceptional "resort"
Shafaq News/ The United Nations emphasized, on Friday, that the detention of
migrants should be a last resort and only in exceptional circumstances,
following US President Donald Trump's unexpected announcement of a plan to
detain thousands of undocumented migrants at Guantanamo Bay.
Trump confirmed, on Wednesday, his intension to repurpose the military
prison at Guantanamo, originally designated for terror suspects, to hold up to
30,000 irregular migrants, referring to them as "criminals" in an
irregular status.
In response to these comments, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy
Lawrence stressed the importance of safeguarding the dignity and rights of all
individuals, regardless of their immigration status, and ensuring they are
treated according to international human rights standards.
Lawrence reiterated that migrants possess human rights regardless of their
status, adding, "They must be respected wherever they are”, said in a
press conference in Geneva.
Trump, elected after a campaign in which he promised to end what he called
the "invasion" of undocumented migrants into the US, has taken
several anti-immigration measures since returning to the White House.
His administration has pledged to significantly accelerate deportation
efforts, while approximately 11 million people currently live in an irregular
status in the US.
