UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America
/
2:57
/
MP4
/
431 MB
Download

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America

According to official US data, between 20 January and 29 April, 142,000 individuals were ted from the US. In particular, the fate and whereabouts of at least 245 Venezuelans and some 30 Salvadorans removed to El Salvador remain unclear.

Many of them were deported under the Alien Enemies Act as alleged members of specific criminal groups. They have reportedly been detained in the maximum-security “Centre for Terrorism Confinement” (CECOT) in El Salvador, a facility where detainees are treated particularly harshly, without access to legal counsel or their relatives, or other contact with the outside world.

The UN Human Rights Office has information from family members and lawyers regarding more than 100 Venezuelans believed to be held in CECOT. These reports indicate that many of the detainees were not informed of the US Government’s intention to deport them to be held in a third country, that many did not have access to a lawyer and that they were effectively unable to challenge the lawfulness of their removal before being flown out of the US,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Liz Throssell said.

“This situation raises serious concerns regarding a wide array of rights that are fundamental to both US and international law – rights to due process, to be protected from arbitrary detention to equality before the law, to be protected from exposure to torture or other irreparable harm in other States, and to an effective remedy,” Throssell told the biweekly press briefing in Geneva.

“To date, no official lists of the detainees have been published by the US or Salvadoran authorities, and their legal status in El Salvador remains unclear. Family members interviewed by the UN Human Rights Office voiced deep distress at not knowing where, and in what circumstances, their loved ones are detained,” she said.

Lawyers don’t know where they are. In fact, no one knows where they are for certain, and we don’t know the legal basis. So that is raising huge human rights concerns.

“And in some cases, the families were contacted by their loved on and asked them to please come to Caracas, please come to see me there. And of course, when the plane arrived no one was disembarked. This added to the uncertainty, the fear of the families.” Throssell said.

“Families we have spoken to have expressed a sense of complete powerlessness in the face of what has happened and their pain at seeing their relatives labelled and handled as violent criminals, even terrorists, without any court judgment as to validity of what is claimed against them,” she added.

“The manner in which some of the individuals were detained and deported – including the use of shackles – as well as the demeaning rhetoric used against migrants, has also been profoundly disturbing,” Throssell stated.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk welcomed the essential role that the US judiciary, legal community and civil society are playing to ensuring the protection of human rights in this context.

He has called on the US Government to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with due process, to give prompt and full effect to the determinations of its courts, to safeguard the rights of children, and to stop the removal of any individual to any country where there is a real risk of torture or other irreparable harm.

STORY: UN Human Rights raises concerns about deportations from the United States of America

TRT: 02:57

SOURCE: OHCHR / UNOG

RESTRICTIONS: None
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 13 May 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior shots: Palais des Nations
  2. Wide shot : Briefing room
  3. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: The UN Human Rights Office has information from family members and lawyers regarding more than 100 Venezuelans believed to be held in CECOT. These reports indicate that many of the detainees were not informed of the US Government’s intention to deport them to be held in a third country, that many did not have access to a lawyer and that they were effectively unable to challenge the lawfulness of their removal before being flown out of the US.”
  4. Cut away: briefing room
  5. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: This situation raises serious concerns regarding a wide array of rights that are fundamental to both US and international law – rights to due process, to be protected from arbitrary detention to equality before the law, to be protected from exposure to torture or other irreparable harm in other States, and to an effective remedy.”
  6. Cut away: briefing room
  7. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: To date, no official lists of the detainees have been published by the US or Salvadoran authorities, and their legal status in El Salvador remains unclear. Many family members interviewed by the UN Human Rights Office voiced deep distress at not knowing where, and in what circumstances, their loved ones are detained.”
  8. Cut away: briefing room
  9. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “ Lawyers don’t know where they are. In fact no one knows where they are for certain, and we don’t know the legal basis. So that is raising huge human rights concerns.
  10. Cut away: briefing room
  11. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: And in some cases, the families were contacted by their loved on and asked them to please come to Caracas, please come to see me there. And of course, when the plane arrived no one was disembarked. This added to the uncertainty the fear of the families.”
  12. Cut away: briefing room
  13. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Families we have spoken to have expressed a sense of complete powerlessness in the face of what has happened and their pain at seeing their relatives labelled and handled as violent criminals, even terrorists, without any court judgment as to validity of what is claimed against them.”
  14. Cut away: briefing room
  15. SOUNDBITE (English)— Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: The manner in which some of the individuals were detained and deported – including the use of shackles – as well as the demeaning rhetoric used against migrants, has also been profoundly disturbing.”


Documents 1
Download Storyline
Download

Audio Files 1
Download UN Human Rights raises human rights concerns about deportations from the United States of America
Download

Similar Stories

Gaza health update - WHO 24 October 2025

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza health update - WHO 24 October 2025 ENG FRA

‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials

Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.

SG Guterres Early Warnings - WMO

1

12

1

1

Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS

SG Guterres Early Warnings - WMO ENG FRA

UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science

No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.

Gaza aid update - WFP

1

1

1

Edited News | WFP

Gaza aid update - WFP ENG FRA

Gazans’ response to food distributions ‘overwhelming’ as humanitarians scale up under fragile ceasefire

In Gaza, the ceasefire is enabling UN humanitarians to reach more desperate people with life-saving food, but greater access is needed to contain the spread of famine.

Gaza aid and border crossings - WFP, OCHA 17 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WFP , OCHA

Gaza aid and border crossings - WFP, OCHA 17 October 2025 ENG FRA

UN urges opening of all Gaza crossings to deliver three-month food supply

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened, particularly in the north where famine was declared in August. The agency says it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months – if full access is granted by Israel.

Gaza update – UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, ICRC 14 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNDP , UNICEF , OCHA , ICRC

Gaza update – UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, ICRC 14 October 2025 ENG FRA

Around $70 billion will be needed to reconstruct Gaza and make it safe after two years of war, UN development experts said on Tuesday, while aid agencies reported that far too little aid continues to reach  desperate Palestinians.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Machado: reaction from UN rights office

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Machado: reaction from UN rights office ENG FRA

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize committee’s decision to name Maria Machado as this year’s laureate, in recognition of her work promoting the Venezuelan people’s democratic hopes.

Gaza ceasefire agreement – UNRWA, UNICEF, WHO 10 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza ceasefire agreement – UNRWA, UNICEF, WHO 10 October 2025 ENG FRA

As Gazans jammed the main route leading north on Friday after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced, UN aid teams repeated their call to open all crossings into the devastated enclave to prevent famine spreading.

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO ENG FRA

Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians

Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025 ENG FRA

Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end”

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end” ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC ENG FRA

Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital 

UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti

2

1

2

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.