United Nations agencies responsible for assisting migrants and refugees expressed extreme caution today regarding the emergency declaration announced by US President Donald Trump on the border with Mexico.
"At the International Organization for Migration (IOM), we are reviewing the executive orders to basically understand what the implications will be for our work," agency spokesperson Kennedy Okoth said at a press conference.
The spokesperson for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Shabia Mantoo, expressed a similar view, saying that the organization is also assessing the potential consequences of the Trump administration's decisions.
Today, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recalled the obligations of the United States and other UN member states to respect the fundamental freedoms and rights of migrants, noting that seeking asylum is one of these prerogatives.
US President Donald Trump declared a "national emergency" on the border with Mexico during his inauguration on Monday and signed several executive orders to fulfill his promises, including militarizing the border, banning the entry of migrants and asylum seekers and deporting several million people living illegally in the United States.
