The UN human rights high commissioner, Volker Türk, has voiced concern over the recent deportation of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States, particularly to third countries.

Mr Türk, in a statement on Tuesday, said the situation raised serious concerns regarding a wide array of rights that are fundamental to both U.S. and international law.

He said the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had received information that over 100 Venezuelan deportees were being detained at a notorious prison in El Salvador.

OHCHR said 142,000 people were deported from the U.S. between January 20 and April 29, according to official data. In particular, the fate and whereabouts of at least 245 Venezuelans and some 30 Salvadorans sent to El Salvador remain unclear.

Many were deported under the U.S. Alien Enemies Act as alleged members of criminal groups and have reportedly been detained at the Centre for Terrorism Confinement in the Central American country.

Detainees at the maximum-security prison are treated particularly harshly, without access to legal counsel or family members and have no contact with the outside world.

OHCHR has received information from family members and lawyers regarding more than 100 Venezuelans believed to be held in CECOT.

The reports indicate that many were not informed of the U.S. Government’s intention to deport them to be detained in a third country.

“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,” Mr Türk said.

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

(NAN)