UN calls on Donald Trump to continue ‘long tradition’ of welcoming refugees after he blocks visitors from seven Muslim countries in bid to ‘weed out’ ISIS terrorists trying to enter US

DONALD Trump's plan to stop refugees entering the US has been met with pleas from the UN for him to continue the country's "long tradition" of providing safety for those fleeing persecution and war.

The UN and other agencies hailed the country's resettlement programme as one of the most important in the world and championed the "overwhelmingly positive" contribution of refugees to the US.

The direct appeal comes as Trump announced travellers from seven Muslim countries will be denied entry to the US under new measures.

The new president vowed to strengthen America's borders with new vetting rules to try to prevent Islamic terrorists sneaking in as immigrants or refugees.

But a joint statement by the UN refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration urged the Trump administration to make a U-turn.

It said: "The longstanding policy has offered a double win: first by rescuing some of the most vulnerable people in the world, and second by enabling them to enrich their new societies.

"The contribution of refugees and migrants to their new homes worldwide has been overwhelmingly positive.

"The needs of refugees and migrants worldwide have never been greater and the U.S. resettlement program is one of the most important in the world."

A UNHCR spokeswoman Vannina Maestracci told a briefing that refugees coming to America were "some of the most vetted individuals entering the United States".

At an event to swear in General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis as his new Secretary of Defence, Trump signed an order titled "Protection of the nation from foreign terrorist entry into the United States."

It halts the refugee resettlement programme brought in by former President Obama for at least 120 days while the new procedures are brought into force.

Syrian refugees have also been barred completely until further notice, while no new visas will be issued to travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 30 days.

"This is big stuff", he told gathered military officials.

It had been earlier been slammed by human rights groups who argued it discriminated against Muslims.

Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for promoting female education in Pakistan, said she was "heartbroken" by Trump's decision.

In a separate order he also pledged to beef up US military might with "new planes, new ships" and improved equipment for troops.

They were signed after Vice President Mike Pence swore in General Mattis as Defense Secretary, who Trump described as "a man of honour, a man of devotion, and a man of total action".

Earlier, during a landmark press conference with Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump hinted he would allow Mattis to "overrule" him on his election pledge to bring back torture techniques to the military.

On relations with the UK, President Trump said that Brexit was going to be "a fantastic thing for the United Kingdom" and confirmed that the pair had talked about a future trade deal.

The meeting with Mrs May, who was the first foreign leader to visit the President since he was sworn in last week, was hailed by the leaders as marking a new dawn for the 'special relationship'.

"I am honoured to have Prime Minister Theresa May here fur our first official visit from a foreign leader" he told journalists.

The relationship between America and the UK had "never been stronger", he continued, adding: "Great days lie ahead," he added.

The US leader also said he was "100% behind Nato" - a comment which will be welcomed by the Prime Minister and Baltic states worried about Russian aggression.

Some British reporters were initially locked out of the White House ahead of the press conference — because guards were confused about their date of birth.

A press pack from the UK were held at the gates because security officials could not understand their documents listing birth dates in day, month and year.

Dates of birth in the US are listed in month, day and year.

Mail on Sunday reporter Ned Donovan said: "White House press officer just told me off on the phone for laughing when they told me about not knowing British date formats were different."

Quoting a press aide, he said: "Why is that funny? One person put their birthday as 01/08[year], why would we be expected to think that means August 1st? Why?"

The Prime Minister donned a striking red dress that she also wore to meet President Obama in the past - and matching shoes.

She was quickly rushed into the White House and wasted no time before being the first head of government to sign the White House book under the new President.

They then posed for photographs next to the Churchill bust where Mr Trump said it was a "great honour" to have him back in the Oval Office.

Mrs May replied: "Well thank you, Mr President."

The pair carried out a traditional exchange of gifts with Mr Trump giving his guest an antique picture of Abraham Lincoln taken from a 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly magazine.

Her husband Philip got a pair of silver cufflinks.

The pair had around an hour of private meetings ahead of the press conference.

They were seen walking through the White House hand-in-hand as they made their way to face journalists questions — including one from Sun man Tom Newton Dunn, who quizzed the world leaders on Brexit and what they share in common.

The Prime Minister said: "We want to put the interests of ordinary working people at centre stage.

"It’s that interest in ensuring economies and government works for ordinary people."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande will have get a phonecall with President Trump on Saturday, while Mrs May was given the red carpet treatment in Washington.

Her visit has sparked widespread comparisons between the iconic relationship that the former PM Margaret Thatcher had with President Reagan in the 1980s.

Mrs Thatcher visited Reagan a month after he took office in 1981 and she received an unusually warm welcome with a “lavish, colourful ceremony”.

Before arriving at the White House this afternoon, Mrs May laid a wreath at America's national war cemetery.

The Prime Minister visited the tomb of the unknown warrior in Arlington, Washington.

She laid a wreath of red roses at the site surrounded by American troops holding British and US flags.

Last night Mrs May ripped up 20 years of foreign policy to declare an end to Britain’s “failed wars” and foreign interventions.

No longer will UK troops go abroad to help make countries democratic and more like ours, the PM declared.

Addressing US law makers in Philadelphia, Mrs May said: “The days of Britain and America intervening in sovereign countries in an attempt to remake the world in our own image are over.”

North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer said today that after hearing the Prime Minister’s speech last night, he thought she had a lot of similarities with the new US President.

He said: “As I watching her and listening to her, I thought ‘is this Donald Trump’s long lost sister?"

“There was real similarities while at the same time, clearly a different take on certain global issues but at the same time, a great respect for nationalism and patriotism and certainly national security.”