The UN rights chief on Friday celebrated the shift in the United States under President Joe Biden away from a range of immigration policies introduced under his predecessor Donald Trump.

In her annual global overview of the human rights situation globally, Michelle Bachelet voiced deep concern over violations committed in a wide range of countries, but was upbeat when her attention turned to the United States.

Speaking in a video message to the UN Human Rights Council, Bachelet said she welcomed "new steps to end several migration policies that violated the human rights of migrants and refugees".

Trump mounted a hardline effort to halt illegal immigration, slash legal immigration and drive out undocumented immigrants, even those in the country for decades.

Bachelet highlighted in particular Biden's executive orders ending a widely criticized Trump policy which separated children from thousands of migrant families.

She urged Washington to "tackle remaining issues, such as the massive detention of migrants" and hailed "broad new measures to tackle structural inequalities and systemic racism," including executive actions by Biden "to redress racially discriminatory federal housing policies (and) combat xenophobia."