Donald Trump is considering barring anyone who transits through a third country from seeking asylum at the border of the United States, Amnesty International have said.

This would mean anyone other than Mexicans and Canadians would effectively be prevented from seeking asylum in the country.

“This latest policy is a disgusting example of the lengths the Trump administration will go to to deny people protection,” Charanya Krishnaswami, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for the Americas, said, citing reports.

On Thursday, Politico reported that a draft proposal barring asylum to people from a third country was being circulated among the president's Homeland Security advisors.

“Seeking asylum is a human right, full stop. Instead of taking sensible steps to fix this crisis of their own making, [the Trump administration] choose to further their agenda of hate and fear.

“To effectively close the border to Central Americans and the vast majority of people seeking asylum not only violates human rights obligations, but is also fundamentally cruel," Ms Krishnaswami said.

Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Show all 14 1 /14 Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Immigrant children, many of whom are separated form their parents, are housed in Texas' tent city Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented migrants ride on the top of a freight train referred to as the beast, or La Bestia Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A cage inside a US Customs and Border Protection detention facility in Texas Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy All new agents must complete a months-long training course at the New Mexico facility before assuming their posts at Border Patrol stations, mostly along the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence A group of young men walk along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence in a remote area of the Sonoran Desert Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence in the US Man looks through US-Mexico border fence into the US in Tijuana, Mexico Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence US Border Patrol agent Sal De Leon stands near a section of the US-Mexico border fence while stopping on patrol on in La Joya, Texas Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy US Border Patrol instructor yells at trainees after their initial arrival to the academy Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Memorial service in Guatemala Families attend a memorial service for two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crime drives emigration from Guatemala to the United States, as families seek refuge from the danger Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Arrests on the border Undocumented immigrants comfort each other after being caught by Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Detention holding facility A boy from Honduras watches a movie at a detention facility run by the US Border Patrol Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican farm workers Mexican migrant workers harvest organic parsley at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican family in Arizona A Mexican immigrant family sits in the living room of their rented home in Tuscon, Arizona. The family that Arizona's new tough immigrant law had created a climate of fear in the immigrant community. Getty

Mr Trump has also announced he will place tariffs on all Mexican imports in a latest attempt to address a “border crisis” and crack down on illegal immigration.

“Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades,” Mr Trump tweeted on Friday. “[It] makes a fortune from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done,” he said.

Mr Trump’s comments follow an announcement that a 5 per cent tariff will come into effect from 10 June and gradually increase up to 25 per cent “until the illegal immigration problem is remedied,” the US President said.

The legislation may threaten the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal that is currently is in the process of being updated.

In February, Mr Trump declared the situation on the Southern border of the United States to be a national emergency, citing an “invasion” of drugs, gangs and people crossing into the country.

During his election campaign and time in office Mr Trump has sought funds to build a wall on the border, a campaign which has been popular with his supporters.