The top UN human rights official voiced concern on Monday at the Trump administration's decision to end the DACA programme for immigrants who arrived irregularly as children and urged the US Congress to give them lasting legal status in the country.

Referring to the move announced recently by the administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme in six months, Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva:

"I hope Congress will now act to provide former DACA beneficiaries with durable legal status. I am disturbed by the increase in detentions and deportations of well-established and law-abiding immigrants," Mr Ra'ad Al-Hussein said.

The decision, if taken into praxis soon, will be affecting nearly 800,000 young migrants known as 'Dreamers'. 

WATCH: More than 800,000 face deportation as Trump cancels migrant programme

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