Mexico City, Apr 3 (IANS): The flow of undocumented migrants in Mexico jumped 54.6 per cent year-on-year in the first two months of 2023, the Interior Ministry said.

The Ministry's 2023 Monthly Bulletin of Immigration Statistics showed Mexico registered 70,526 cases of undocumented migrants, with 66.6 per cent being men, from January to February on their way through the country to the US, reports Xinhua news agency.

The state receiving the largest proportion of the migrants is Chiapas with 41.3 per cent, followed by Tabasco with 9.3 per cent and Coahuila with 8.8 per cent.

A total of 7.4 million people entered Mexico from abroad, including 6.1 million foreigners, marking a 37.5 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Over the two months, the country issued 12,398 permanent residence cards and 11,091 temporary ones.

Mexico is a transit route for migrants heading towards the US from Central America, the Caribbean, South America and other parts.

To avoid being detained by Mexican immigration authorities, migrants often take higher-risk routes that make them more vulnerable to organised crime.