Flow of migrants to U.S. down by 50 pct, says Mexican president

MEXICO CITY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday that the flow of migrants to the United States has been reduced by 50 percent in recent months, and again called on Washington to help fund development programs designed to curb immigration.

At his daily press conference, Lopez Obrador said recent figures show a drop in migrant flows following the immigration "crisis" in December that saw tens of thousands of migrants crossing Mexico to reach the U.S. border.

"We had a crisis on the northern border in December of 12,000 migrants a day, and we made a joint effort and reduced the average (number) to 6,000," he told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

His administration "continues to press" for the development aid needed from the United States to deal with mass immigration at the roots by investing in Central American countries to create jobs and improve living conditions, the president said.

"That's what we are working on, that was our original proposal, addressing the causes," he added.

The Mexican president has repeatedly urged his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, to allocate resources to mitigating immigration through development.