New York, January 13 (RHC-Agencies)-- The African group of ambassadors to the United Nations has demanded an apology from Donald Trump, after the U.S. president reportedly aimed a racist remark at some Caribbean nations and Africa.

Trump criticized immigration to the United States  from El Salvador, Haiti and the African continent, by calling the group "shithole countries" at a meeting with Congress members at the White House on Thursday, according to U.S. media reports.

"The African Union mission to the UN is extremely appalled at, and strongly condemns the outrageous, racist and xenophobic remarks attributed to the U.S. president," Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Ghana's ambassador to the UN, said on Friday.  The group has demanded a retraction and apology from Trump.

According to US media reports, Trump asked during a conversation about immigration: "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?"

Trump suggested the US should instead focus its immigrant entry policy on countries such as Norway.

Following an emergency session of the African diplomats, Pobee added that the group "is concerned at the continuing and growing trend from the US administration towards Africa and people of African descent to denigrate the continent and people of color".

Rupert Colville, a spokesman with the UN human rights office, earlier slammed Trump's "vulgar language".

"You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as "shitholes" ... I'm sorry, but there's no other word one can use but racist," Colville said.