Donald Trump's description of immigrant countries as "shitholes" is racist, a UN human rights official has said.

The US President asked why America should allow more people from "shithole countries" during a meeting with legislators about a proposed bipartisan deal on immigration.

Sources briefed on the conversation said Mr Trump questioned why the US would want to admit more people from Haiti and Africa, adding: "We should have more people from Norway".

Asked about the President's remarks, UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said: "These are shocking and shameful comments from the President of the United States.

"There is no other word one can use but racist.


Image: In November, Washington said it was ending Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti

"You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as 'shitholes', whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome."

:: Immigration slur - Why did Trump say it?

He added: "The future of the Dreamers should not be used as a bargaining chip to negotiate the most severe and restrictive immigration and security measures possible. These are human beings, not commodities."

The President's comments have drawn widespread condemnation.

"Ours is not a shithole country, neither is Haiti or any other country in distress," said Jessie Duarte, the deputy secretary general of South Africa's ruling African National Congress party.

"We would not deign to make comments as derogatory as that about any country that has any kind of socioeconomic or other difficulties."

Former Mexican president Vicente Fox Quesada described Mr Trump's comments as "foul".

He said: "America's greatness is built on diversity, or have you forgotten your immigrant background, Donald?"

.@realDonaldTrump, your mouth is the foulest shithole in the world. With what authority do you proclaim who’s welcome in America and who’s not. America’s greatness is built on diversity, or have you forgotten your immigrant background, Donald? — Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 11, 2018

The White House did not contradict reports of Mr Trump's remarks, but suggested the President was "fighting for permanent solutions" that strengthen the nation, and that included the use of a merit-based immigration system.

"Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people," White House spokesman Raj Shah.

"He will always reject temporary, weak and dangerous stopgap measures that threaten the lives of hardworking Americans, and undercut immigrants who seek a better life in the United States through a legal pathway."

Mr Trump later tweeted that he would not accept the proposed bi-partisan deal as the US would be "forced to take large numbers of people from high crime countries which are doing badly."

He added: "I want a merit based system of immigration and people who will help take our country to the next level."

In November, Donald Trump's administration said it was ending Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti.

It gave the approximately 59,000 Haitian immigrants who had been granted the status until July 2019 to return home or legalise their presence in the United States.