Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the U.N. high commissioner for human rights during a briefing in Geneva, has scolded the United States over the hundreds of children removed from parents who were jailed for entering the country illegally.
Shamdasani added that border control appears to take precedence over child protection and care in the U.S.
"The use of immigration detention and family separation as a deterrent runs counter to human rights standards and principles," the spokeswoman noted.
"The child's best interest should always come first", Shamdasani concluded.
The US administration has adopted a new "zero tolerance" policy that has accelerated separations of children and their parents at the border. The policy, announced in April by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, directs authorities to prosecute all instances of illegal border crossings.
The issue has fanned a political debate in the United States ahead of midterm congressional elections in the fall.
