UN urges respect for right to seek asylum as Trump orders establishment of migrant facility at Guantanamo

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Thursday called for the respect of the rights of migrants as US President Donald Trump announced plans to establish a 30,000-person detention facility at Guantanamo Bay for undocumented migrants.

In response to Anadolu's question on Trump's order, spokesman Stephane Dujarric reaffirmed the UN's position on migrants and asylum seekers during a news conference.

He said Trump's plan "may actually happen," and said: "It's crucial that any measures taken when it relates to mitigating migration to asylum seekers, respect the fundamental rights to seek asylum as well as the full respect for the dignity and rights of migrants."

Trump announced Wednesday that he had directed the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to establish the facility in Cuba.

Following his remarks, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the naval base at Guantanamo Bay as "a perfect place" to detain deported migrants.

The Trump administration has made mass deportations of immigrants in the US illegally a cornerstone of its domestic policy.

Guantanamo is also known as home to a controversial military facility where prisoners, often held without trial, have faced allegations of torture in the years following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the US.

A report by the International Refugee Assistance Project last year called for urgent action to end systematic human rights violations at the Guantanamo Bay facility.

It urged the closure of the facility, citing concerns about undrinkable water, exposure to sewage and inadequate medical care and education for children.