Mexico City, Aug 6 (IANS): Since 2019, the bodies of 51 foreign migrants have been recovered at the Mexico-US border, authorities said.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mexico's National Institute of Immigration (INM) said that members of its Beta Group special task force recovered the bodies from a desert terrain and the Rio Grande River that separates the two countries, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The bodies were recovered in the Rio Bravo and desert regions along the country's northern border between 2019 and 2020," the INM said.

The task force, founded 30 years ago, also aids migrants in transit through Mexico.

Migrants often drown attempting to cross the river to sneak into the US undetected.

The border area's desert and mountain terrain can be just as treacherous, with temperatures rising to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, the INM said.

Immigration observers said migrant deaths have increased as surveillance and security measures have been stepped up to prevent clandestine crossings.