Geneva, Switzerland (HRNW)- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk publicly denounced a series of harsh immigration enforcement actions in the United States, describing them as dehumanizing and harmful to fundamental human rights. Türk said he was “astounded by the now-routine abuse and denigration of migrants and refugees,” highlighting instances where people have been violently detained or surveilled in workplaces, schools, places of worship and their own homes based solely on suspicion of irregular status. He stressed that policies lacking individualized legal assessments and respect for due process not only violate international human rights obligations but also erode trust in legal systems and undermine the dignity of migrants and asylum-seekers.
The High Commissioner also called on all levels of government to stop scapegoating migrants and refugees through rhetoric that portrays them as criminals or societal burdens — a practice he said fuels xenophobia and hostility and stands in stark contrast to the contributions that migrants have made globally.
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